MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Baylor kept its softball season alive Wednesday by defeating Father Ryan 12-1 in six innings in a losers-bracket game in the Division II-AA high school tournament at Starplex field No. 3.

Baylor (19-12) will play tonight at about 8 EDT against the loser of this morning’s winners-bracket final between GPS and St. Benedict, which is scheduled to start around noon.

As they have done all season, the top two in the Lady Red Raiders’ order provided a spark.

Nina Davenport reached base three times. Her ground-rule double in the second inning provided the first two runs, and she scored the third on an error on Braleigh Angel’s infield single. Davenport reached on an infield hit leading off the fourth and made it 6-0 when she scored on Alex Card’s single that fell in right-center.

Angel finished 4-for-5, starting a six-run sixth with an infield hit and capping it with an RBI bunt single.

“Our top two, Braleigh and Nina, were special again today,” Baylor coach Kelli Smith said. “We did such a good job of playing small ball today. We took advantage of their mistakes and ran the bases extremely well.

“We know whoever we face next is going to be a quality opponent. If we play like we did today and score 12 runs again, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”

Card had two other RBIs. The first came on a triple in the third inning, and the other was on a fielder’s choice when Kaitlyn Phillips slid in under the tag after a throw to the plate. She also scored both times.

Lauren Lybrand was a key contributor with a 3-for-4 performance that included three RBIs and two runs scored.

“Coach Smith says we can win as long as we can hit,” Davenport said. “Our defense has been there. The key to our game is hitting.”

Eighth-grader Kaitie Sims kept the Lady Irish’s offense in check with a two-hit shutout through five innings. She ended up giving up four hits, one walk and an unearned run. She hit a batter and struck out eight.

“She was able to hit her spots very well,” Smith said. “She also had a bunch of key strikeouts, especially the one that ended the first inning. We had left two runners in scoring position in the top of the first. They got two on in the bottom half, but she got that big strikeout to end it and we came in and scored three. That was very big.”

Taylor Helm singled and scored the run for Father Ryan (18-14) when Olivia Waters’ hit was misplayed in the outfield.

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