Aledo falls to Georgetown in extra innings during state softball semifinals

Aledo tied the game in the seventh inning to force extras, but Georgetown scored two in the top of the eighth to win 3-2 in the UIL Class 5A state semifinals on Friday at McCombs Field.

Aledo’s Macy Graf (Mississippi State signee) hit a single in the bottom of the eighth and advanced to second before scoring on a two-out single from Texas Ray to cut it to within 3-2.

Then a hit went off an Aledo base runner between first and second base to end the game.

The Ladycats finish the season with a 33-3 record.

It was their second straight trip to state and sixth overall. Aledo beat Georgetown 8-5 in last year’s state semis before losing to Barber’s Hill 4-1 in the 5A title game.

“We just didn’t take care of business when we needed to,” said Aledo coach Heather Myers, whose team left five runners on base. “So kind of hard when you out hit some body and you can’t score runs. We didn’t execute like we should have.

“Just a tough loss when you feel like you’re the better team.”

Georgetown (34-3) advanced to play Montgomery Lake Creek (39-0) for the 5A state championship. Lake Creek, the second-ranked team in the nation, beat Prosper Rock Hill 8-2 on Friday.

Down to their final three outs and trailing 1-0 in the seventh, the Ladycats got a lead off single from Madysen Boutwell. Two batters later, Ana Flores singled to left to give Aledo runners at first and second with one out.

Claire Byars came in to pinch hit and hit a hard grounder up the middle.

The Georgetown shortstop couldn’t make a play and Hannah Pack scored to tie the game at 1-1. But Flores was tagged trying to stretch to third for the second out.

Georgetown pitcher Madison Hartley got out of the inning with a grounder to third.

The Eagles got a lead off double in the top of the eighth from Isabella Torres. After moving to third with one out, the Eagles tried for the squeeze bunt. Ray charged in from first and got Torres in a run-down, but on the throw back to home from third, the ball bounced off Torres’ helmet and she was safe.

Hartley followed with an RBI double to center to make it 3-1.

Hartley (17-1) also pitched seven innings and allowed one unearned run on seven hits while striking out four.

Her counterpart, Aledo sophomore Brenlee Gonzales didn’t let the big stage get to her in her first state appearance. Gonzales, in her first season with the Ladycats, allowed one earned run on five hits with 11 strikeouts in eight innings.

“All of us wanted it. We just wanted that game bad,” said Gonzales.

“My curveball inside to the righties was working. They kept missing or fouling it off today.”

Added Myers, “She knows how to pitch, she knows her strengths. She does a good job. She gets it done. I couldn’t have been more impressed with our pitching the entire season.”

The two teams only accounted for one run combined through the first 6 1/2 frames and that came in the top of the second when Georgetown came across on an Aledo error.

Abigail Hodgson struck out, but reached first base on a wild pitch. Savanna Ransom came in to pinch run and swiped second to put the Eagles in scoring position.

After back-to-back outs, Ashley Blaylock hit a hard ball to third and the ball bounced away toward the Aledo dugout. Ransom took off from second and came around to score.

The Ladycats had their chances throughout the game to either tie the game or take the lead.

Ray, a Tulsa commit, singled with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, but was stranded. Ana Flores singled with one out in the second, but Georgetown got a fielder’s choice and pop fly. Maddy Jarvis led off the third with a single, but was thrown out at second. Hartley followed that with a strikeout and fly out.

Ray picked up her second hit to lead off the fourth inning and Presley Hull singled up the middle to put runners on second and first, but Hartley got a grounder to third for an unassisted inning-ending 5-3 double play from Braylin Pannill.

Georgetown had five hits and one error.

Aledo had nine hits and two errors.

Ray went 3 for 4 with an RBI.

Torres, a former Texas A&M commit, went 2 for 4 with a run scored for the Eagles.

This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 3:26 PM.