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COLLEYVILLE -- The Keller softball team's series-sweeping victory Friday was kind of like a first grade art project.
It wasn't always pretty, yet ultimately both student and parents are happy with the finished product.
The Lady Indians ground out a 3-2 victory against Flower Mound Marcus to take the Class 5A Region I quarterfinal series at Colleyville Heritage.
Keller (29-5-1) entered the seventh inning in a 2-2 tie but mucked out a run to grab the victory.
"The coolest thing about this group of girls is they are not concerned with the whole look of it," Keller coach Lindsay Strong said. "They are not concerned that someone has to hit a home run, someone has to drive in a run."
Certainly, that wasn't the case with the game-winner.
Keller sophomore Sarah Anders led off the seventh with a walk. Junior Carly Allerheilegen pushed Anders ahead with a sacrifice bunt.
Senior center fielder Autumn Suydam earned the only hit of the inning with a single that pushed Anders to third. Suydam moved to second on the throw. The Lady Indians then loaded the bases with power hitter Bailee Kaderka facing a full count with two outs.
Rather than swing away, Kaderka watched the next pitch hit the dirt, forcing home the winning run.
Marcus (27-14-1) pushed a runner to first with one out in the bottom of the seventh. But first baseman Jessica McClasky pulled a solo double play by snagging a line drive and quickly tagging first with the Lady Marauders' runner caught off the base.
Keller will head out west to a neutral venue for the regional semifinals against the series winner of Midland-El Paso Americas.
Keller opened the game with two runs in the first. Pitcher Katie Ramsay and McClasky each had RBI singles to give Keller the early 2-0 lead.
Marcus responded with runs in third and sixth innings to tie the game.
Keller won Game 1 by a 2-1 margin on Thursday to complete the sweep.
"It's huge because if you don't take it in two, then the third game makes it a one-gamer," Strong said. "So just to never open that door is phenomenal."
Tobias Xavier Lopez
817-390-7600
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