MURFREESBORO – Jo Byrns softball continues to make history.
The Red Devils dropped their first-ever contest in the Class 1A state softball tournament Tuesday to state favorite Eagleville, but have since won three straight elimination games to finish among the final three teams in the classification.
“They’re just amazing,” head coach Jada Head said Friday afternoon. “They love this game, and I can’t stress that enough.
“Nobody had heard of Jo Byrns softball until Tuesday.”
After Friday’s 3-1 win over Gordonsville, Jo Byrns (21-10) is still putting itself on the map.
Facing a team they beat nine days earlier for their first-ever region championship, the Devils struck out 18 times and hit 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position against pitcher Kailey Plumlee.
A Gordonsville passed ball and wild pitch, paired with an RBI single from Julia Arms in the third inning, proved to be just enough to advance to the next round.
“I think that we just like to do it the hard way,” senior and Vol State signee Korey Harris said. “I guess we like for people to pay for what they’re looking at.”
Like their previous two games against Harriman and Oliver Springs – where they allowed a combined six runs – defense made all the difference against Gordonsville. Harris allowed just one hit against the Tigers, and the defense backed her up with impressive plays by third baseman Kaliyah Lucas and right fielder Faith Holt.
“One thing we have to take advantage of is the other team’s errors and mistakes,” said Head, whose team drew seven walks and pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam in the first inning Friday. “Defense wins games at this level, it seems like. I trust them.”
The faith she has is based in a long-stemming relationship with her players.
Head says she was hooked into the coaching job at the Cedar Hill school three years ago because of her daughter, who is now a freshman on the team. She spent time coaching the school’s underclassmen when they played Dixie Youth softball at around 6 years old.
“This sisterhood that these kids have; I feel like they’re mine,” she said. “They’ve been at my house for sleepovers since they were 5 years old.
“The way they’re handling this and the way they’re getting to celebrate just makes my heart happy.”
Depending on the outcome of Saturday’s semifinal, there could still be more to accomplish in the school’s first trip to the tournament. The Devils sit just one win away from a shot at the Class 1A state championship, where a rematch against Eagleville is likely.
“I think it’s super exciting,” Harris said. “We’ve never done this before as a school. I couldn’t be more pumped up.
“I think a lot of people didn’t know who we were before we came in here. Now we’re definitely setting up a good name for us, especially since we’re a little school in the middle of nowhere.”
Blaine Kellar serves as the sports reporter for the Robertson County Connection. He graduated from Austin Peay State University in 2022 and has contributed for Main Street Preps since 2019.
