Softball team earns second consecutive state tournament bid

Lela Byrd-led Unicoi County is soaring back to Murfreesboro for its second straight state tournament. Byrd, an East Tennessee State signee, pitched a three-hitter and Kianna Woodward (Walters State) went 2-for-4 with home runs as the Blue Devils won 6-1 at Sweetwater in sectional round on Friday. Unicoi County (34-3) will open against Adamsville (22-18-1) on Tuesday at 2 p.m. (Eastern). The championship is set for 11 a.m. on Friday at Middle Tennessee State. Unicoi County had to travel to Sweetwater after losing a heartbreaker in an epic clash with Eagleton Academy in the Region 1-2A championship on Wednesday. Byrd pitched a one-hitter and allowed no earned runs while striking out 13 in that one. Blue Devils coach Abby Hensley was proud of how her team bounced back from the emotionally grueling setback. "You never want a loss in the postseason, but sometimes that's the best thing for a team," Hensley said. "And losing 1-0, I mean, it was a hard game to lose. But at the end of the day, it's like, 'Well, we lost this game. So, now we're really gonna see what y'all are made of.'" Granted, it's easier to rebound with Byrd on the field. She leads the state in home runs (24), RBIs (79) and victories on the mound (26). She's second in the state in ERA (0.44) and third in strikeouts (301). Byrd's 24 home runs broke the school record of Hensley's former teammate, Tiffany Laughren, an all-state player in 2013, '14 and '15. "They both were very determined to become the athletes they were in the sport of softball," Hensley said. "I think both of their work ethics were high up there." Woodward's one-out solo home run in the top of third inning tied the score, 1-1, at Sweetwater. "It was a very big momentum starter for us when Kianna had that home run," Hensley said, "especially when we were down one to nothing." Byrd followed with a two-out double, and Emmi Linkous' single scored courtesy runner Deanna Gill for a 2-1 lead. Unicoi County took a 4-1 lead when Brooklynn Sparks' bunt led to two errors and two runs. Abigail Peterson and Carly Baxter were both 2-for-4 with a run at Sweetwater. Baxter was also 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs in a 15-0 region semifinal win against Claiborne on Monday and her 2-for-3 performance accounted for the Blue Devils' only hits against Eagleton. Baxter, whose inspirational grandmother Sandy Lingerfelt died during the season, has raised her average to .419 and leads the team in doubles (16). "I mean, honestly, Carly has been – considering everything she's had to go through this season – she's been phenomenal at the plate and in the field," Hensley said. "She made some great plays against Sweetwater on Friday. And she's one of our most reliable hitters right now. I mean, she's done everything she could do this season for us." When Byrd doesn't whiff a batter, the defense has been steady. Shortstop Kyndal Engle (Milligan University) and third baseman Kaley Toney made key plays last week. "Kaley had a great game against Sweetwater," Hensley said. "She played great at third. She caught this little blooper kind of behind the pitcher in the shortstop area. We thought Kyndal was getting ready to dive and Kaley came out of nowhere. "Carly had a great game too against Sweetwater – the pop-ups in the outfield she ran out there and caught. Kyndal has been great at shortstop. All the way around defensively, we've played fairly well." Toney is second on the team in home runs (seven) and RBIs (43). Her seventh home run came while going 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs against Claiborne last week. Byrd pitched a five-inning no-hitter in that one. Linkous was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs against Claiborne. Woodward and Sparks were each 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Sparks' hits included a triple. Hits against the tough pitchers are harder to come by, of course. Eagleton Academy's Ella Borbeck pitched a two-hitter against Unicoi County while walking three and striking out 12. Hensley's likened Borbeck to a right-handed Madelyn Dulaney (David Crockett). "We had runners on base against Eagleton, but we just did not execute," Hensley said. "We didn't get bunts down." Timely hits figure to be critical at some point if the Devils are to make a state championship run. "Last year at the state," Hensley said, "if we'd just had one or two hits that came at the right time I think we would've went further than we did down there. We have to hit and move runners at the right time." Returning a veteran roster from a state tournament team made for huge expectations, but Hensley said making fun a focus has helped stave off any internal pressure. "It's a great group of girls," Hensley said. "They make practices fun. They make games fun. And when they're loose they play better. "Some days we're out there dancing to music, and I'm sure coaches look at us and are like, 'What in the world's going on over there?' But those girls – if you knew 'em you'd understand, they play so much looser, so much better, you know, when they're just having fun." The Blue Devils won state titles in 2002 and 2009. This will be Unicoi County's 13th state tournament appearance. Hensley has been part of three of the 13. "It means a lot, being here as a player and now being here as a coach," Hensley said. "That's what you strive for – to make your community proud, to make the school proud of the students. We do everything we can to make sure the girls are student-athletes. To get back as a coach after going as a player, I couldn't be more happy and thankful that they've given me this opportunity."