The Alcoa High School softball team defeated Forrest, 6-1, in the 2022 Class 2A state championship. (Photo by Charles Mays Media).
BY JESSE SMITHEY
MURFREESBORO — Sarah Fekete Bailey, the Alcoa High School softball coach, had no reservations about starting Gabby Burkhart on Saturday night.
Just because the Class 2A state title was on the line against one of the more successful programs in the state didn’t mean Bailey was going to lose faith in the freshman on the final day of the season.
And when the Lady Tornadoes were looking to close out the win in the final inning, Bailey let it all ride on Burkhart.
No reliever or veteran experience needed.
“She pitched against them yesterday. They had some good swings on the ball,” said Bailey.
“But (Burkart) was on fire today.”
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Forrest High got a couple runners on with two outs in the seventh, but Burkhart got a lineout to left to end the threat and end the contest.
History made.
Alcoa won its first state softball championship in program history with the 6-1 win at the StarPlex Softball Complex in North Murfreesboro.
Burkhart pitched a complete game in 86 pitches, scattering five hits while striking out four.
She didn’t issue a walk against Forrest (30-12).
Not too shabby against a program that won Class 1A last season and that also has four state titles and 19 state appearances all-time.
Moreover, Forrest beat Alcoa 11-5 early in the afternoon Saturday, forcing the Lady Tornadoes into a decisive Game 2.
Burkhart handled it well, thanks to the coaching from Bailey.
“I really don’t know how to describe it. I just tried to take it one pitch at a time,” said Burkhart. “I felt a little pressure, but I was able to calm myself down.”
“(Coach Bailey) just tells us to do the little things,” Burkart added. “And I think we have done that all season, and that’s helped up get to where we are.”
Olivia Emert and Kaylyn Halliburton helped back Burkhart with offensive production.
Emert, the Alcoa sophomore catcher, went 4 for 4 in the win with two RBIs. Her two-out, two-run double in the top of the fifth gave Alcoa a 2-0 lead.
“Just believe,” said Emert who went 3 for 4 in Game 1 with a home run and two RBIs.
“You got to believe that you can do something before you do it. And you have to work together as a team. That’s really important. Do the little things and you win a state championship.”
Halliburton, a junior first baseman, broke the game wide open with a two-out, three-run homer to center in the top of the seventh.
That gave Alcoa a 6-1 lead.
And it gave Burkhart room to operate with a bit more peace of mind while closing out the championship.
“What made it even easier was Jaylyn’s home run,” said Bailey, who was hired at Alcoa in early June 2018. “I think everybody had a sigh of relief that it wasn’t super close (in the bottom of the seventh.
“Because it may have been a different story if she didn’t hit that home run and (Forrest) has two runners on (in the bottom of the seventh) with a freshman in the circle. But (Burkhart) was lights out. And we effectively used her change-up a lot more today than the first time we played them in the semifinals. And I think that was the difference.”
5STAR PHOTOS – 2022 Alcoa Softball Championship, Pigeon Forge Baseball runner-up finish