This year’s Cloudland softball program keeps making history.
The Lady ‘Landers rallied for a thrilling 5-4 win over Copper Basin in the opening round of the TSSAA Class A State Tournament on Tuesday in Murfreesboro. It is the first win for any Cloudland girls’ squad at the state tournament level, and the school’s first win at the state tournament level since the boys’ basketball team beat Frayser in 1968.
With the win, Cloudland advances to take on Eagleville in a winner’s bracket contest at 2p ET / 1p CT on Wednesday in Murfreesboro.
Copper Basin struck early as the Lady Bobcats plated two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead.
Cloudland, who saw Willow Bennett draw a two-out walk for their lone baserunner in the opening two innings, saw Eowyn McCoury reach base with a two-out single in the top of the third, but CHS was unable to keep the inning going.
After Copper Basin added a solo homerun in the bottom of the fifth, the Cloudland offense got cranked up.
Regan Blair opened the top of the sixth with a bunt single. The Lady ‘Landers plated the run two batters later as Bennett launched a home run over the right field fence to trim into the Copper Basin lead.
Despite having two outs, Cloudland kept the inning going.
Reagan Turbyfill hit a hard single to reach base, and Khloe Johnson hit a single to get runners on first and second. Peyton Preswood delivered a double to plate two runs, and CHS took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
The Lady Cougars took advantage of a Cloudland miscue and had runners on second and third with no outs. Cloudland’s defense, however, delivered with three straight outs to keep the game tied at 4-4 going to the final inning.
Cloudland’s offense wasn’t going to be denied in the seventh.
Blair hit a one-out triple, and the senior scored after E. McCoury hit a double to right field to give CHS the lead. Cloudland was unable to add to the lead in the frame, but a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh secured the win for Cloudland.
E. McCoury was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Bennett and Preswood each had two RBI and a hit. Blair finished with two hits and two runs scored. Turbyfill and Johnson each had a hit.
In the pitching circle, Turbyfill allowed just three earned runs on seven hits in a complete game effort and allowed no walks.
Madden Beach had two hits and an RBI for Copper Basin, while Magdalena Scoggins had a home run for the Lady Cougars.