SHAWN DIGIANFELICE

Sports Writer

Shelbyville Central’s season came to an end Wednesday afternoon as Oak Ridge erupted for six runs in the third inning and went on to defeat the Golden Eagles 6-1 in the TSSAA Class 4A State Baseball Tournament.

For the first two innings, both teams were locked in a scoreless pitchers’ duel before Oak Ridge broke the game open in the third. The Wildcats capitalized on timely hitting, walks and defensive miscues to seize momentum and never allowed Shelbyville Central to recover.

The Golden Eagles answered with their lone run in the top of the third when Blake Bone delivered an RBI single, scoring Stephen Bobo, who finished with a huge day at the plate. Bobo led Shelbyville Central offensively, going 3-for-4 while accounting for three of the team’s five hits. Bone and Case Davis each added hits, while the Golden Eagles continued to battle throughout the afternoon despite facing one of the tournament’s top pitching performances.

Oak Ridge starter Mason Teasley was dominant on the mound, striking out 13 batters over 6 2/3 innings while allowing just one earned run.

Brody Thomas took the loss for Shelbyville Central after working the first three innings. Bobo provided strong relief work, tossing three scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

Shelbyville Central head coach Chase Jones was disappointed to see the season end, but proud of his team’s effort and determination throughout the season that was rewarded with the Golden Eagles first trip to the state tournament in school history.

“This team was special because of the way they bought into the process and embraced the ‘win this pitch’ mentality,” Jones said. “We came from behind to win around 20 games this season, and that speaks volumes about their grit and heart. They played their tails off all year, stayed locked in every pitch, and gave themselves a chance to win nearly every game down the stretch. “We came up a little short here, and I’m disappointed to lose, but I’m not disappointed in these kids, where we are as a program, or where we’re headed. I’m excited about the future. We’ve got to keep getting better. We don’t just want to make it to the Spring Fling — we want to win it. There are no guarantees we’ll get back here next year, but if we do, we want to be ready to compete and win it all.”

The loss ends another historic season for Shelbyville (31-11), who captured district and region championships before making the program’s first-ever trip to the TSSAA State Tournament.