White Settlement Brewer falls to Lake Creek in first state title game appearance
Long before the first pitch of the UIL Class 5A Division II Texas high school softball state championship, White Settlement Brewer had already made program history.
In 2026, the Bears won the school’s first softball regional final and state semifinal series. In the title game, however, the Bears finally met their match against Lake Creek (40-1), ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in Texas by MaxPreps, but were extremely competitive in a 6-5 loss Friday at the University of Texas’ Red and Charline McCombs Field.
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“We went out and fought, and that’s what I expected from our group,” Brewer head coach Josh Richards said. “If you get into the seventh inning with a chance to take down a team like Lake Creek — that’s what every girl dreams of.
“That’s why you play the game. ... I’m just so proud of our kids for their resiliency. Their girt. It’s what we’ve done every round.”
Richards said he briefly spoke to his squad about representing Brewer somewhere its never been but wanted to make sure his team thought of the championship as “just another game.”
“We knew it was special,” Richards said. “But we wanted to make sure that we didn’t create too big of a stage. ... Now is the time when we get to reflect, go back, get welcomed by our community and really celebrate what was an amazing season.”
Lake Creek took a lead in the fifth, and Brewer failed to retaliate in the sixth and seventh innings. The Lions celebrated their fourth overall state title, all of which were won since 2022.
“You want it to go a bit different, but I’ll tell you what — our girls are going to be fired up for next year,” Richards said.
The Bears (27-10), unranked in MaxPreps’ national and state rankings, jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with a rocket of a home run off the left field foul pole from senior Kamren Pride.
“Whenever you have a senior come up to the plate and hit one off the foul pole here at UT’s park — that’s special,” Richards said. “But we’ve been able to do that all year. Whenever we needed to generate quick offense, it has always come. That’s what I would expect.”
Lake Creek chipped away in the second inning with an RBI triple from Gracee Brewer and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Miranda Orso. After a pair of singles, The Lions took the lead in the third inning with a two RBI double from Sara Wiggins.
Brewer centerfielder Ava Pena got a glove on the ball and held on for a second, but lost it while diving to the ground. The officiating crew ruled it a base hit — it was a costly call for Brewer. Richards, who wanted another umpire to make a ruling with a better angle, said the officials told him Pena did not keep possession.
“I’m being 100% honest, I thought she had it,” Richards said.
Lake Creek continued to add one more run in the third inning via a Laney Galloway RBI groundout.
In the fifth inning, Lake Creek dealt with its own outfield issues. Brewer sophomore pitcher Cozette “Cozy” Tyson, in a lengthy at-bat, hit a routine fly ball to left field that was dropped by Lake Creek’s Brewer. Two runs scored, and the Bears tied the game.
Lake Creek, however, took the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by a single from Madalyn Davis, the game’s MVP. She stole second, advanced to third base on a passed ball and scored on a grounder. Brewer third baseman Avery Welch attempted to throw home; the runner was safe, and Lake Creek took a lead it would never relinquish.
Wiggins threw the whole game for Lake Creek, allowing three earned runs and surrendering seven hits and two walks. She also was a force on offense, tallying two doubles and a team high three RBIs.
Brewer’s Tyson kept her team close, giving up six hits and a walk.
“We had a very good idea of what [Tyson] was going to do in the circle,” Richards said. “And it was just to attack and hunt our zone early in the count, and then fight from there. Because we thought we could outlast [Wiggins] and start to get some barrels.
“Just those mid innings, we fell a little flat. Just missed a few opportunities. In a game like this, that can be the difference. Credit to [Lake Creek]. Credit to their pitcher and their staff. They were very, very well prepared, no doubt.”
Pena led the Brewer offense with a team high four hits.
After the game, Brewer players, many of which were in tears, exchanged hugs while receiving their second place medals. Richards said if there is one thing they should take away from the experience, it’s the relationships made along the way.
“This is a special group,” Richards said of his team, which includes five underclassman starters. “Every team is unique. You get that group of girls for one season, and that’s what makes it special. I want them to remember this. Let the relationships fuel some connectivity and a little commitment — all the things we need to get right back to Austin.”
This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 8:53 PM.
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