Lady Cats are 3A State Runner Up
The Lady Cats faced off with the Alcoa Lady Tornadoes for the TSSAA 3A State Championship on Saturday, May 23rd.
Rain delays throughout the week didn't keep the determined ladies from posting the only undefeated record in the tournament. They began on Tuesday with a 5-0 shutout over Springfield, Wednesday 8-3 over Cocke County, then another 5-0 shutout over Cocke County on Thursday to earn their spot in the championship game.
Originally scheduled for 10 am, the game was moved to 12:30 at Riverdale High School to take advantage of the turf field. With two players and two managers graduating the night before, the late start was a mixed blessing.
Both teams were scoreless until the 4th inning, when Alcoa put four runs on the board. The Lady Tornadoes knocked a ball over the 3rd baseline fence in the top of the sixth that many in the stands called foul. The umpires didn't agree, so the homer added three to their total.
The bottom of the sixth saw the Lady Cats score five runs on four hits. Bailee Shelton singled, scoring one run, Chanley Steele scored three runs on a triple, and Carlee Shelton grounded out, scoring one run.
Rain delays came at the top of the 7th, as Chanley Steele took the mound. After over an hour, the decision was made to move the game to Shelbyville Central High School.
The Lady Cats made short work of the last at-bat for Alcoa, holding them at 7. However, they came up short in their last at-bat and fell with the final score of 5-7, finishing as the 3A State Runner Up.
The Lady Cats ended their season with a record of 34-8-2, which included 14 shutouts.
Seniors Bailee Shelton and Callie Finlayson have both signed to continue their athletic careers at post-secondary institutions. Shelton will play softball at UT Knoxville, and Finlayson will play both softball and volleyball at Dyersburg State. Both seniors were four-year starters for the Lady Cats, ending their careers with a state championship (2023), state quarterfinal (2025), and state runner-up (2026).
Senior managers Gabby Shelton and Elli Rowsey were constant encouragement in the dugout, as well as the other members of the team. The community also showed great support for these ladies throughout their season, and especially in their run for the state title.
It's been a long week, but an exciting one, and full of moments, events and memories that as always make us proud to call these young ladies OUR LADY CATS!
