Bell softball advances in playoffs for first time in four years

Valerie Page, Hannah Duda, Brilee Krajca and Nathalie Concha were already a part of history as being among the first players to help L.D. Bell win a district softball championship.

That was 2013.

Now, four years later they have made even more history. They are the only four players in Lady Raiders history to win two district titles.

“This is a special moment for those girls,” Bell coach Thomas Shives said.

The Lady Raiders (20-9) are also advancing in the playoffs for the first time since 2012, having defeated Duncanville two games to one in their best-of-three bi-district series this past weekend. Next up is Keller Timber Creek (21-8) this weekend, with details still being worked out at press time.

Bell defeated Duncanville 3-2 in the first game and 4-2 in the third game, dropping the second 2-0.

Page had four hits, including a triple, with two runs batted in. Kelsi Wengert had three hits with a double.

Freshman Kallie Erwin (15-2) pitched the two victories, giving up three hits and two earned runs in 14 innings. She struck out 16 and walked four.

In a yeoman’s effort, Mackensi Mankel pitched a two-hitter in the loss, striking out five and walking one. Only one run was earned.

The Lady Raiders captured the District 7-6A championship in a fashion fitting to their season, a 6-0 win over Southlake Carroll. It was without question their most important moment in the regular season, Shives said.

Carroll handed Bell its only league loss, 4-1, so another Lady Dragons win would have given them the top spot.

“That’s the biggest game we’ve had here in a while,” Shives said. “The bleachers were full, it was a fun, fun atmosphere. To see Kallie go out and do that, and we played great defense behind her.”

Bell shifted into a different gear when district arrived, outscoring its 12 opponents 97-11 and posting shutouts in half of its league games.

“Early we sat back and expected Kallie to strike out everyone —and she strikes out a lot — but then we realized that we also had to play great defense,” Shives said. “Good teams are going to put good pitching into play, and you have to be ready for that on defense.”

Through the regular season, Randi Castillo led the Lady Raiders in hitting with a .537 batting average, while Alicia Maron was next with a .481 and Page hit .460. As a team, Bell batted .356.

The Lady Raiders are led in doubles by Castillo (8) and Peyton Newman (6). Newman’s four triples are also tops on the squad. Castillo (35), Newman (22) and Erwin (22) pace the team in RBI.

On the mound, Erwin has a strikeout-walk ratio of more than 4-1 (143 strikeouts, 34 walks). She also posted a 1.13 earned run average in the regular season.

“I’m excited that my girls competed well in every game, which we think prepared us well for the challenges of playoff softball,” Shives said.

The Lady Raiders not only came out of a tough district, they also compete in Region I, arguably the toughest in the state. Nine of the top 25 teams ranked by the Texas Girls Coaches Association at the end of the regular season reside in this region.

“I think in the playoffs, it’s less about who you play and more about making sure you play to your own strengths,” Shives said. “Focus more on executing our game and playing well.

“Some of the best teams in the state are here in the Metroplex. Very, very tough area to advance out of. It’s about who can get hot at the right time.

“We have a lot of girls playing well right now. Both Kallie and Kensi (Mankel) are pitching well, and we have a lot hitters that are getting hot. We’ll try and keep that going.”

This story was originally published May 2, 2016 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Bell softball advances in playoffs for first time in four years."