Softball/Baseball recap: Aledo Ladycats headed back to state; Keller beats Coppell in rubber match
SOFTBALL
Aledo 8, Justin Northwest 1
Kayleigh Smith allowed one unearned run in the bottom of the first inning then went on to shut down the Texans helping the Ladycats to the Class 5A Region 1 championship on Saturday at Boswell High School.
Aledo (28-7) is headed to the UIL state tournament for the first time since going three straight years from 2013-15, next week in Austin. The Ladycats will play in a 5A state semifinal on Friday at the University of Texas.
“We are thrilled, but at the same time, we feel like we were prepared,” Aledo coach Heather Myers said. “I’m excited to even have the opportunity to go and I just hope we continue to work hard and produce like we have been.”
The Texans got a run across when Alexah Reyes scored on a passed ball. Northwest led 1-0 until the top of the third when Aledo scored twice on a two-run single to right from Marissa Powell that scored Audrey Pearce and Macy Graf.
“No matter the circumstance, COVID or however long we’re out of school, we’re going to work for what we want to achieve,” said Pearce, a senior. “We came out here fired up. [Northwest] had us fired up [on social media].”
Northwest (30-6-2), with its deepest run since 2007, got runners on in the third and fourth inning, but couldn’t plate either time. Aledo extended the lead to 4-1 in the fifth when an infield single from Graf moved Pearce to third, who then scored on a wild throw. Then Madysen Boutwell’s RBI single drove home Graf.
“We stepped on the field today and wanted to get it done,” Aledo senior Morgan Brown said. “We were hungry and we still are. We want to go all the way. There was no doubt in my mind. We had one purpose. It was another day at work and we were going to give every play everything we had.”
Claire Byars hit a deep RBI double off the wall to grow the lead to 5-1 in the top of the sixth. The Ladycats added three more in the seventh capped off with a two-run inside the park homer from Powell.
Smith gave up four hits with two strikeouts in seven innings. Northwest sophomore Abi Young finished off a sensational varsity debut season with five strikeouts and six earned runs in seven innings.
“[Kayleigh] spins the ball well and throws the hitters off,” Myers said. “She’s a phenomenal pitcher and there’s a reason she’s been our ace since day one.”
BASEBALL
Keller 7, Coppell 1
Keller pitcher Braden Davis tossed five-plus innings and right fielder Clayton Thomas starred at the plate as the Indians downed Coppell in Game 3 of their Class 6A Region 1 semifinal on Saturday afternoon at Denton Guyer High School.
Keller (33-6), the District 4-6A champion, advances to the Region 1 final and will faced 4-6A runner-up Southlake Carroll (28-16) next week. The teams split their district games with Carroll winning at home 3-0 and the Indians taking a 7-4 decision at Keller.
Davis is normally a reliever and the Indians’ center fielder, but the senior has had to start two, pressure-packed, game threes in the playoffs.
“Knowing you have to win and beat them to move on to the next round is stressful,” said Davis, who scattered five hits, walked three and struck out eight. “You have to come in with confidence and know you can get it done.”
Davis said that he struggled a little early getting ahead in the count, but after the second time through the lineup things began to click.
Coppell (31-9-1) loaded the bases with none out in the top of the second with two walks and a single by Will Rodman, but Davis got a pop out to second and two strikeouts to end the threat.
Every inning that Keller scored Thomas had a hand in it.
The Indians scored three in the first on RBI singles from Gray Rowlett and Davis. Thomas followed Davis and laced a liner to left field that Cowboys’ Ryan Walker made a terrific play on, but the sacrifice fly plated Mike Dattalo for a 3-0 Keller lead.
Thomas led off the fourth inning with a ringing double to left center. He was bunted to third by Whit Thoms, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Todd Baffa to go up 4-1.
After two were out in the fifth, Thomas came up with two on and ripped a 3-run home run to left field to put the game out of reach.
“The past few games I haven’t been hitting all that great, but I went in and watched some film,” said Thomas, who went 2 for 2 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. “I think I adjusted something because it worked today and it’s something I can build upon.”
Zach Gonzalez came on in relief of Davis after a leadoff double in the sixth and retired all six batters he faced to close out the game.
Amarillo 5, Birdville 4
The Sandies shocked the Hawks with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to get the walk-off win in Game 2 of their Class 5A Region 1 semifinal series Saturday at Seminole High School.
Amarillo (31-8) advances to next week’s regional final while Birdville finishes with a 25-13-1 record and its first regional semifinal appearance since 2008.
The Sandies took Game 1, 10-4, on Friday.
Texarkana Liberty-Eylau 5, Godley 3
The Wildcats couldn’t hold onto a 3-0 sixth-inning lead as the Leopards rallied back to stun Godley in the rubber match of their Class 4A Region 2 semifinal series Saturday at Whitehouse High School.
Liberty-Eylau (29-10-2) advance to next week’s Region 2 final.
The Leopards took Game 1, 12-3. Godley evened the series, 2-1, on Friday.
Liberty-Eylau didn’t register a hit until the fifth inning. Then it scored five times in the sixth to grab the lead for good. Godley ends the season with a 28-12 record.
Landry McKittrick gave up three runs on three hits in six innings for Godley. The Wildcats got RBIs from McKittrick, Ryan Block and Trevor Smith. Braden Karnes went 2 for 3 at the plate.
This story was originally published May 29, 2021 at 5:33 PM.