By Maurice Patton
COLUMBIA – Averi Slaughter and Journey Mitchell combined for 20 strikeouts in 12 innings, and the Columbia Academy offense accounted for 28 hits and 23 runs to claim a Spring Fling berth in dominant fashion with a doubleheader sweep Wednesday of visiting Boyd Buchanan.
In the best-of-3 Division II-A state quarterfinal series, the Lady Bulldogs extended their winning streak to 24 straight games, recording a 10-0 victory in the opener before rallying from an early three-run deficit for a 13-3 decision.
Both contests finished in six innings by virtue of the 10-run mercy rule.
The twin wins send Columbia Academy (38-2) in search of a second straight state title, following the Lady Dawgs’ Class A title in 2019, the last year in which a postseason took place.
“It’s my first time going to state,” said CA junior first baseman Myleah Hardy, who homered in each of the two games – her 18th and 19th longballs of the year, as she adds to the school single-season record. “I’m so excited.”
Hardy put her stamp on the matchup quickly, following Karli Quillin’s base hit to lead off the bottom of the first inning with an opposite-field roundtripper over the right-field fence to spark a five-run rally against the Lady Buccaneers.
“Any time Myleah’s up, we feel confident she’s going to deliver,” Columbia Academy coach Seth Anderson said. “It may not be a home run every time, but she does a great job of barreling balls up.
“That home run set the tone.”
The hosts added to the early cushion with a run in their second at-bat and two more in the third, while Slaughter was giving Boyd Buchanan no opportunity to counter. The Chattanooga squad managed a baserunner in the third inning on a pair of CA errors, one in the fifth on a walk and a final one on a hit-by-pitch in the sixth. Only one advanced as far as third base.
“Our pitching was great,” Anderson said. “We did a great job pounding the strike zone – 20 strikeouts in two games. We did a pretty good job of limiting walks.”
Playing as the visitors in Game 2, Columbia Academy fell behind as Boyd Buchanan’s Kiley Elliot drove a first-inning Mitchell pitch over the left-field fence for a 3-0 lead. The Carson-Newman signee rebounded to retire the final two hitters of the inning, allowed a single to lead off the second inning, then retired the final 15 hitters she faced.
At the plate, Mitchell’s RBI base hit in the fourth was followed by Chloe Carter’s three-run double that put the Lady Bulldogs ahead for good.
“We knew with it being so early, if we took a good approach at the plate, we’d have a chance to regroup and get those (runs) back,” Anderson said of the initial deficit. “After run-ruling a team and having to come back and play them again 30 minutes later, you’ve got to be focused right off the bat. I think that first inning helped us regain our focus.”
Quillin tripled to score Abbigail Adkins, and scored on a Tori Duval groundout in the fourth, before Karley Harakas and Hardy each homered in a five-run fifth.
“I’ve been intentionally walked so many times – for them to pitch to me, I’m going to take advantage of it,” said Hardy, who went 4-for-6 in the two games with four RBIs, four runs and three walks.
Quillin had five hits on the day, with Duval and Mitchell each adding four. Eight of CA’s nine offensive starters had at least two hits.
“We knew they were a good hitting team coming in,” Boyd Buchanan coach Jeff Stone said. “You’ve got to hope you’re hitting your spots.
“Their pitcher in the first game had good movement. We didn’t adjust like I’d have hoped we would. Our pitcher in the second game (Brooke Watson) had good movement. The girls that did damage for them in the second game weren’t the ones that did in the first game, which says something for them.”
Columbia Academy will begin play at Spring Fling on Tuesday. The remainder of the four-team field has yet to be set.
Game 1
Columbia Acad. 10, Boyd Buchanan 0 (6 inn.)
BB 000 000 – 0 0 3
CA 512 011 – 10 14 3
Kiley Elliot and Presley Williamson. Averi Slaughter and Laney Turner. W: Slaughter. L: Elliot. HR: Columbia Acad. – Myleah Hardy (18).
Game 2
Columbia Acad. 13, Boyd Buchanan 3 (6 inn.)
CA 004 252 – 13 14 0
BB 300 000 – 3 4 2
Journey Mitchell and Laney Turner. Brooke Watson and Presley Williamson. W: Mitchell. L: Watson. HR: Columbia Acad. – Karley Harakas (6), Myleah Hardy (19); Boyd Buchanan – Kiley Elliot.