Chattanooga Christian bolts past St. Benedict for first state title

BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR) *photo courtesy of Chattanooga Christian School Athletics*

The Division II-Class AA softball championship trophy is making its way back to Chattanooga for the 10th consecutive season, but with a new address and different display case. The Chattanooga Christian Lady Chargers finished their visit to Spring Fling by being the only team to go undefeated in Murfreesboro, with the final act being a 3-0 shutout over St. Benedict Thursday at Blue Raider Softball Field.

Neither team put a run on the board in the first 4 and a half innings of this championship showdown, with Lady Chargers ace Kylie Black adding more strikeouts to her impressive Spring Fling 2025 resume throughout this title tilt. The junior would have 35 total strikeouts over 3 games to lead the way for CCS on the bump. She would get the run support she and her squad needed to get closer to history.

Addi Lewis led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double and Mary Katherine Flowers would get hit by a pitch to get runners on first and second base. Lewis and pinch runner Claire Clark would get into scoring position on a passed ball, then Alli Matthews bunted into a fielder’s choice which allowed Lewis to race across home plate for the first run of the game. Hannah Smith ripped a single to left field with 2 outs, bringing in the final two runs of the game and charging up the blue and gold clad Lady Charger fans who made the trip from Chattanooga.

Needing six outs to make history, Black would get strikeouts on half of those in the final 2 innings. Neely Fillman would haul in the final out on a pop fly and the celebration was on. For the third time in a row, Chattanooga Christian played for a state softball championship. And as the cliche’ goes; the third time was definitely the charm.

“It’s so surreal”,  Smith said. “I still don’t believe it, I can’t even put into words the feeling of today”.

CCS finishes the year 23-11 overall and secures the first state softball championship in program history.

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