The three-time state champions Forrest Lady Rockets know pressure and they know by instinct what to do in clutch situations as witnessed last night in a winner’s bracket game versus Nolensville at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill.

Forrest (23-3-1) led for most of the game, only to see the Lady Knights come back to take a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning, but in typical Team 34 fashion, the Lady Rockets prevailed when Laura Mealer creamed a monster two-run walk off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 5-3 win in the rubber match game between the top two seeds in the tournament.

“That was exciting and the big thing is our seniors came through,” Forrest coach Shelby Lightfoot said. “Our kind of go to is a bunt there, but when our seniors come to you and say, hey we got this, we can knock them in, that was a big confidence moment for the coaches.”

Nolensville (17-9) awaits the winner of tonight’s loser’s bracket game at Marshall County between the Tigerettes (13-12) and Giles County (7-11).

The loser’s bracket final is tomorrow night at Nolensville and the District 12-AA title game is at Forrest on Thursday night where the visitors will have to beat the Lady Rockets twice to steal the crown.

It might as well been senior night all over again at Forrest on Monday as Jenna Blanton, Mealer, Karley Daughrity, and Ashley Milligan all played pivotal roles in the Forrest’s 14th straight win.

Milligan was once again dominant in the circle, giving up three runs (one earned) on two hits, while striking out a season-high 18 batters and walking one.

Mealer drilled the game-winner and her team-leading sixth home run and Blanton went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a stolen base, and an electrifying triple in the fateful seventh inning.

“Laura struggled a little bit at the beginning, but I still would not have pitched to her there,” Lightfoot said. “We were thinking they were going to walk her there, but I guess they were thinking she was 0-for-2 and they were going to go at her.”

“Me knowing her as her coach, I wouldn’t have gone at her at that point because she was ready to go. I told her in that moment that it doesn’t matter what you did earlier, you have to live for this moment because this is the moment and she came up big.”

Karley Daughrity was clutch the entire game, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run dinger in the third inning and a game-tying laser single in the seventh.

“She is on fire, for having to take part of the early season off because of her wrist that is killing her, she wants it, she wants to be here to finish her senior season,” Lightfoot said. “I don’t think people realize how hard is for her to be hitting the way she is with her wrist getting contact every time.”

Milligan was in the mowing mood for much of the contest, striking out the side in order the first, second, and fourth innings and whiffing at least two Nolensville batters in every other inning.

Forrest squandered scoring chances in the first two innings before breaking through in the bottom of the third when Blanton singled and stole second base before Daughrity sent a deep shot over the left field fence for her first home run of the year.

The game went to the sixth inning with Forrest still holding the two-run lead and in control after Milligan struck out the first two Nolensville batters.

Nolensville leadoff hitter Macey Dupree sent a groundball up the middle that was deflected by Milligan and caromed to second base.

The throw was wide and Dupree went to second base on a subsequent wild pitch.

Avery Patton drew the only walk off Milligan in the contest and Paige Dickinson followed with an RBI single to make it 2-1.

Alexis Hall sent a soft liner towards second base that was misplayed and Patton came home with the tying run.

Another wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third, but Milligan dug deep, striking out the Nolensville batter to end the inning.

Forrest got two runners on base with one out in the home half of the inning, but failed to push a run across and the game went to the seventh inning where Sydney Dickinson drilled a one-out home run over the left field fence to give the Lady Knights a 3-2 lead.

Nolensville pitcher Rylan Smith struck out the first Forrest batter in the home half of the frame before Blanton drilled a triple to the right field fence.

Daughrity followed with a two-strike base hit to center field and Blanton flew like a butterfly home with the tying run.

Addison Bunty came in to pinch run for Daughrity and she danced home in front of Mealer, who drilled a 2-0 pitch over the center field fence and in to the trees, sending Forrest to the District 12-AA title game on Thursday night.

“It was definitely crunch time for me there coming up 0-3, I’m definitely not an o-for anything type hitter, I was struggling today,” Mealer said. “I knew I was due for one, I was very surprised that they were going to continue to throw to me, but I’m very glad they did.”

“We could have very easily laid down and gave them the ballgame after they hit the home run to put them up 3-2, but I’m extremely proud of our whole team to fight back and win that ballgame.”

Nolensville 000 002 1-3 2 1

Forrest 002 000 3-5 9 2

Nolensville: Paige Dickinson 1-for-3, Sydney Dickinson 1-for-3.

BB: Avery Patton, Alexis Hall, Lauren Ryan.

RS: Macy Dupree, Patton, Sydney Dickinson.

HR: Sydney Dickinson.

RBI: Paige Dickinson, Sydney Dickinson.

SAC: Rylan Smith.

ROE: Alexis Hall, Dupree.

SB: Dupree.

Team LOB: 4

Fielding

E: Paige Dickinson.

LP: Rylan Smith (6.1IP, 9H, 5R, 5ER, 5K, 1BB).

Forrest: Jenna Blanton 3-for-4, Karley Daughrity 2-for-4, Laura Mealer 1-for-4, Macyn Kirby 1-for-3, Katelyn Helmick 1-for-3, Briley Burnham 1-for-3.

BB: Abby Ferguson.

HBP: Carli Warner.

RS: Blanton 2, Karley Daughrity, Mealer, Addison Bunty.

3B: Blanton.

HR: Karley Daughrity, Mealer.

RBI: Karley Daughrity 3, Mealer 2.

ROE: Karley Daughrity.

SB: Blanton, Ferguson, Kirby.

CS: Blanton.

Team LOB: 6

Fielding

E: Burnham 2.

WP: Ashley Milligan (7IP, 2H, 3R, 2ER, 1ER, 18K, 1BB).