SMYRNA — Just when you think Shelbyville Central's magical baseball season couldn't get any more dramatic, it did after the Golden Eagles (19-20) claimed a 4-1 victory over host  Stewarts Creek in the second game of a best of three series in the TSSAA Class 4-A state sectional on Thursday evening.
The game was called in the bottom of the sixth inning due to the weather with the Eagles batting with two runners on base with one out.
A deciding Game 3 will be tonight at Stewarts Creek High School at 6:30 with the winner earning a berth to the TSSAA Spring Fling.
"This might just be the craziest dang season of my coaching career. I have been so blessed to have coached some of the finest young men anyone could ever hope to. But this group is just absolutely special. I am on the tail-end of my coaching career, and to be honest I wondered last year if I still had the ability to Coach and motivate young men. I knew we were young and very inexperienced, but a 4-28 (record) is difficult on anyone. I knew we were doing all the right things, but I worried the kids wouldn't believe in our system. We spent all of last season and this summer building the culture that would define this program and worked as much as we could developing skill. With our culture established, we worked all off season developing our baseball skill set, " second-year Shelbyville Central coach Chase Jones said.
"We knew we were better, but starting 0-7 overall and 1-3 in the district would test anyone's fortitude. But, we had established the culture of our program and one of the top pillars of our program is focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves. We'll here we are, one game away from going to the state tournament."
Senior left-hander Jaquai Beverly turned in a quality performance on the mound for Shelbyville Central, fanning five batters in a one-hit effort.
Golden Eagle lead-off batter William Bobo singled, stole second and later scored off a passed ball for the 1-0 lead.
Shelbyville Central posted a three-run third inning aided by three Stewarts Creeks errors.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Nick Hopper doubled and Ahmad Coats was hit by a pitch as the Golden Eagles were looking to tack on some more runs before weather delay and eventual end of the game.
"I want to say this tonight, before tomorrow night's game. I love this group of young men and coaches and have never been more proud of a group in my entire life. Win or lose this has been the most special season of my entire career. But you know what, ‘Why not us?’ I know our boys are going to leave everything they have on the field tomorrow night."

Stewarts Creek           001 00 — 1   1   4
Shelbyville Central     103 00 — 4   1   0

Stewarts Creek: Coleman Neas 1-for-3.
Shelbyville Central: William Bobo 1-for-3
WP: Beverly
LP: Fernandez