Scrappy Lady Mustangs on a mission after missing 2014 playoffs

The Grapevine softball team seems to still have the awful taste in its mouth from missing the playoffs last season by one run.

Some teams will grimace and just accept the offending after-taste. But the Lady Mustangs are using last year’s disappointment and this year’s added experience to challenge for a district title en route to an expected playoff appearance.

Grapevine is currently 3-2 in District 5-5A play and was to have a Monday game with Dunbar.

The losses in their district schedule thus far have been to Lake Dallas and Birdville.

“I think once we got a chance to actually practice and play, we’ve looked pretty strong,” said Grapevine head coach Steve Bottoms. “It was a tough few weeks in the gym (due to the weather) but once we got outside and got to a tournament at the end of spring break, that really helped us get back in a groove and we’ve been playing pretty well,” he said.

Grapevine has been showing they are in the upper echelon of the district with their play already.

The Lady Mustangs have scored 65 runs in their first four district games. In their three wins, they gave up no runs.

In the Lake Dallas loss, 6-0, it was just a two-run game until the late innings.

“Lake Dallas is legit and so is Birdville,” Bottoms said. “We have our work cut out for us.”

The experience garnered in last year’s trying season is paying dividends.

Bottoms said he has basically the same group of girls from last year that started off 1-12.

“We just weren’t very good,” he said of the previous season. “We’ve got the same group back and we’re trying to take that next step.”

Grapevine was looking to get to the “level of legitimacy,” as Bottoms called it and said they’ve finally reached it.

“The next hurdle is to go from being competitive to being competitive winners.”

Helping clear that hurdle have been players such as center fielder Ercilla Mendoza.

Bottoms said Mendoza has been hitting about .343 and is able to lead by example and experience, as she’s now on her third year of varsity competition.

Behind the plate, Cynthia Haugh has been a solid piece of the nucleus for Grapevine.

Her younger sister, freshman Abby Haugh, is at third base.

And just when the Lady Mustangs could have panicked when they lost their second-team all district shortstop to Heritage, Heather Haggard has stepped up and stepped in. “She has good speed and a good glove and as the lead-off hitter is a good base runner,” Bottoms said of Haggard. “We wouldn’t have seen her do so well otherwise,” he said.

Another freshman is also making key contributions. Sydney Kaai has been pitching well for Grapevine.

“She’s a good athlete and it’s good to know I’ll have her for another three years,” Bottoms said.

The execution of the defense is what has been fueling the surging Lady Mustangs, though.

“We used to kick the ball around six or seven times a game,” Bottoms noted. “We’ve got to clean that up if we want to win. We’ve been playing cleaner and making plays. Along with solid pitching and timely hitting, that’s what wins games.”

Regardless of the win/loss record, Bottoms said there has been one constant he’s seen in his 17 years at Grapevine.

“Win or lose, no matter what the skill level, they’ve always fought to the bitter end,” Bottoms said proudly. “Whether we’re up 10 or down 10, it’s a Grapevine tradition to be scrappy. We’ve bloodied some noses and always been competitive and we have pride in that.”

This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Scrappy Lady Mustangs on a mission after missing 2014 playoffs."