For the first time in school history, the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central Lady Tigers made it to the TSSAA State Softball Championship game, capping off a sesnsational postseason run.
The program had never before advanced beyond the semifinal round in its 40-year history. But that changed this year.
After sweeping the District and Region tournaments and delivering a commanding 14-0 sub-state victory over Huntland, the Lady Tigers returned to Murfreesboro for their third consecutive state tournament appearance—this time with unfinished business.
What followed was a dramatic four-day campaign through the Class 1A State Championship bracket.
Days One and Two
Weather delays on Tuesday pushed the opening games to Wednesday, but the Lady Tigers didn’t miss a beat.
They opened with a dominant 10-0 win over Oakdale, powered by a nine-run fourth inning and a shutout performance from Madison Holder.
Later that afternoon, however, they fell 6-0 to top-ranked Gordonsville.
Despite out-hitting their opponent, they struggled to reach home plate.
The tough loss pushed them into the loser’s bracket.
Back with a Vengeance
On Thursday morning, May 22, the Tigers bounced back in a big way.
Lilly McGee’s explosive bat helped fuel a 14-2 massacre of Halls, keeping their title hopes alive.
That win set up a rematch with Gordonsville, where they would have to beat the number-one team not once, but twice, to reach the final.
They did just that.
In back-to-back games, the Tigers stunned Gordonsville with scores of 12-5 and 10-5.
Kyleigh Baker drove in five runs in the first win, and Madison Holder delivered a clutch performance in the second, including a home run and three total hits.
The victories over Gordonsville was electrifying for the Lady Tigers.
Senior Keely Williams described that second victory as unmatched.
“There was nothing that could compare to that feeling. There was nothing close that could compare to it,” she said.
Senior Spencer Ervin, who drove in multiple RBIs during the run, said, “It felt so much better that we lost to them [by] so much and then came back and beat them.”
Central Senior McKinley Garrison said, “We knew from the start that we were the best team there. So to beat a team that is so stacked and so competitive… it was really cool!”
With those victories, the Lady Tigers punched their ticket to the State Championship game.
Championship Game
On Friday afternoon, they stepped onto Blue Raider Softball Field to face Eagleville in what would be the final hurdle in their fairytale run.
The Lady Tigers clawed and battled, but Eagleville’s early offensive burst proved too much to overcome.
Hollow Rock-Bruceton fell 8-1, finishing the tournament as the Class 1A State Runner-Up.
It wasn’t the ending they’d hoped for, but it was a finish that ushered in a new era for Hollow Rock-Bruceton’s Lady Tigers.
“It was really cool to come back and do even better than we did last year,” said Garrison. “Even though we came up short, we all had the same end goal, and that was to play in the state championship game.”
Williams highlighted the team’s bond.
“We’ve always had a real good bond and we don’t really have much drama,” she said. That helps us become a team and play as a team.”
Ervin added that the experience proved their potential, saying, “we’ve shown people what we can do.”
All three seniors credited the coaching staff as instrumental in the team’s success.
“We would not be here without them at all,” Garrison said. “They knew how good we were from the start, even when we didn’t believe it ourselves.”
“They always pushed us to be better than what we thought we were,” added Williams. “They taught us how to be great people, more than just players on the field.”
This was the year that they proved they belonged on the biggest stage.
