CTC Softball Trophy – Photo Provided
“The girls played an amazing game today, actually an amazing three games today.” Those are the words of CCMS softball coach Lana Creek as the Lady Raiders won three consecutive games to come out of the losers bracket to claim the CTC softball tournament title on Saturday in Tullahoma. After falling to the losers bracket on Friday, and surviving a scare from North Franklin, Coffee County need a win over Tullahoma and a pair of wins over Warren County to win the championship. Of her team, Creek said: “Their character won out today, they had a lot of things and a lot of people against us.”
Trailing 2 to 0 in the bottom of the last inning, Grace Pippenger ripped a bases clearing, 3 RBI triple to stop Tullahoma 3 to 2 in the opening game on Saturday. Facing a tough Warren County team that gave Coffee County their only conference loss of the regular season, the Raiders broke open a 5 to 5 tie after 2 innings to claim a 10 to 6 win and set up a winner take all championship.
In the final, the Lady Raiders got 4 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning. A leadoff single by Sierra Mahar and an RBI double along with a hit batter, a walk and an RBI sacrifice fly from Haley Richardson gave Coffee County a 4 to 1 lead. The Lady Pioneers tied it up in the 4th inning and that score held into extra innings. After Warren County scored 2 runs in the 7th, the Lady Raiders tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a homerun from Pippenger. After opening the 8th inning in the international tiebreaker, Coffee County was able to strand the inherited Pioneer runner at 3rd base and then loaded the bases in the bottom of the 8th. Kyla Craig laced a 2 out single up the middle to score Shannah Frame giving the Lady Raiders an 8 to 7 win. In addition to a 1st place finish in the regular season, the Lady Raiders finished the year with a 15 and 5 record and the CTC championship.
The CCMS Lady Raider softball team celebrates after their 8 to 7 win over Warren County in the CTC Championship game. (Photo provided by Heath Mahar)
