The Everything Store

Alcoa sectional rout showcases versatility

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Alison Chapman is a great place to start.

It would be easy to pigeon hole the Alcoa freshman as simply one of the team’s fast kids, someone sent on to pinch or courtesy run, hoping the next batter gets a hit. It’s so much more than that.

Once aboard, Chapman is every bit a threat to an opposing defense as any of the Lady Tornadoes’ star sluggers.

Alcoa routed Watertown, 17-2, in a sectional championship game on Saturday at Dawn Marsh Field. The win lifted the Lady Tornadoes into the Spring Fling Class AAA state tournament this week in Murfreesboro.

Alcoa (39-2) meets Liberty Creek (23-7-1) in an opening round contest on Tuesday at Starplex Field No. 1. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST.

“It’s really hard to go to the state tournament every year, and it’s really, really hard to win it,” said Lady Tornado coach Sarah Bailey, who directed Alcoa to the title in 2022. “You got to have a little luck. You’ve got to have a whole lot of preparation and film work and game planning.

“Finally, the kids just have to execute.”

Exhibit A: Chapman.

In a six-run Lady Tornado second inning on Saturday, Chapman was put aboard at third to run for first baseman Maddy Stewart. With Alcoa power hitter McKenna McCarter up next, Watertown played the infield at normal depth. When McCarter squared to bunt, Chapman took off.

Before the Watertown pitcher could field McCarter’s bunt, Chapman was crossing home plate.

With Tennessee signee Halle Bailey and fellow senior Daja Casby at the top of the order, the Lady Tornadoes hit and run quite a bit. That’s just not all they do.

Chapman wouldn’t get an opportunity to run for Stewart the next two times the Cleveland State signee came up. Stewart homered on both trips, to left and straightaway center, respectively.

“My favorite was the first one because (assistant coach) Chad (Bailey) was telling me to run and that I needed to stop watching the ball,” Stewart said. “I was glad it was out because if it wasn’t I would have been in trouble.”

It was one of three times Alcoa homered on the afternoon, sophomore Raya Inge accounting for the other with a cruise missile shot that scored a direct hit on the concession stand/locker room complex behind left field.

Bailey finished 3-for-3 with a double, Casby 3-for-3. Both accounted for three Lady Tornado runs. Third baseman Grayson Burgess went 2-for-2, collecting a pair of RBI along the way.

Alcoa ace Kaylea Osborne hasn’t needed a whole lot of run support this season, and the UT-Martin signee made quick work of Watertown as well.

A couple of Lady Tornadoes errors in the Watertown third helped the visitors claw back a pair of runs before Halle Bailey called an impromptu team meeting behind the pitching circle to restore order.

“I was just trying to cause some peace,” she said. “We were all stressed. I felt like we all needed to take some deep breaths, and that’s kind of what I was telling everyone.”

Osborne quickly took it up a notch to retire the side by strikeout.

“I just tried to see that we can get out of it and trust myself and trust my defense,” Osborne said.

Alcoa catcher Tori Hahn gets our player of the game award for simply gloving all that heat.

“I love catching for her,” Hahn said of her battery mate. “She moves the ball very well. Her spin is insane. As soon as she comes out, she’s locked in.”