RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WGNS) - It was a historic weekend for Rutherford County high school sports as two local softball teams captured state titles. Stewarts Creek cruised to its first-ever crown in Shelbyville, while Eagleville fought through a tight battle to secure back-to-back state championships.
Bryan Barrett and Jon Dinkins had the call of the game, nearly eight hours after the scheduled start. (LISTEN TO THE PODCAST)
The Red Hawks put on a clinic, dismantling the Maryville Rebels 10-0 to capture the state title. The victory caps off a breathtaking 36-2-1 season for head coach Jennifer Fernandez's squad. From the opening pitch, Stewarts Creek executed with the poise of a veteran team. After trying to being the day playing at Riverdale, rain flooded their field and the matchup was moved to Shelbyville many hours later. They jumped on top 4-0 before a lightning delay there added another couple of hours to the inevitable finish for the Lady Red Hawks. When play resumed, they added two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth when senior Lexi Pope stepped up to the plate with two on:
They exploded for 10 runs today in five-innings while the defense and pitching stifled Maryville’s hitters from the first inning to the last. The championship blowout was the grand finale of a perfect tournament run where the Red Hawks navigated the Spring Fling bracket without a single blemish, including a dramatic walk-off home run by Kloe Quigle and a grand slam the next day. For the seniors who tasted the heartbreak of a tight title game loss in 2024, Saturday's late victory was the ultimate redemption.
Meanwhile, a short time earlier in Shelbyville, the Eagleville Lady Eagles cemented their status as a local softball powerhouse by bringing home the TSSAA Class 1A State Championship trophy. Eagleville fought through a tight defensive battle on Saturday to defeat the McEwen Warriors 2-1, snapping McEwen's nine-game winning streak. Every single run crossed the plate in a wild first inning. After McEwen jumped ahead with a run in the top of the frame, the Lady Eagles answered right away. Ashtyn Walker drove in the tying run with a bunt single, and Marilyn Fluty executed a perfect suicide squeeze to score the go-ahead run. From there, Eagleville junior pitcher Madison Davenport took total control on the mound, firing a four-hit complete game.
The Lady Eagles capped off their season with 11 straight wins and finished the year with a 20-7 record. Eagleville had to overcome weather delays during Spring Fling and a grueling schedule just to reach the title game. Storms halted their semifinal matchup against Cloudland last Wednesday, forcing the teams to return Thursday morning where Eagleville secured a 10-8 extra-inning win. Sophomore Ellie Nguyen sealed that victory with a dramatic two-out, two-run home run in the extra frame. This marks the third state softball title for Eagleville following championship wins in 2022 and 2025, keeping the back-to-back state trophy right here in Rutherford County.
The Stewarts Creek game was the sixth of the week for the WGNS crew and was the final broadcasts of the 2025-26 high school sports season. It marked the 159th high school event they brought listeners and viewers this season, including football, girls and boys basketball, baseball, softball, coaches shows and Primetime Sports Thursday, which airs from August until December.
A HUGE thank you to the sponsors who make high school sports possible on radio, streaming and also video coverage of regular season games. We look forward to the next season (after some rest), which will be the 80th year of WGNS Sports coverage!
