The special moment that had been a year in the making could begin as soon as Kaedyn Lee secured the fly ball in right field.
Coahoma, which had come so close to winning it all the previous year, could finally celebrate on the infield at McCombs Field.
The Lady Bulldogs captured the Class 3A state championship Thursday afternoon with a 4-2 victory over Santa Gertrudis Academy. It’s Coahoma’s second softball title in school history with the other coming in 1998.
Call it dominance. Call it revenge. Call it a transcendent performance from Summer Smith.
However you decide to label it, the Hermleigh softball team earned the right to be called Class 1A state champions Wednesday afternoon after overpowering D’Hanis for a 9-0 victory at the University of Texas’ McCombs Field.
It’s the Lady Cardinals’ first state softball championship, and it comes almost a year to the day since Hermleigh suffered a 6-2 defeat against the Cowgirls in last year’s title game.
A fifth-inning single that didn’t even leave the infield.
That was the only hit Coahoma ace Hannah Wells surrendered Wednesday afternoon during a Class 3A state semifinal against Emory Rains.
Wells’ domination in the circle combined with Baylor Wright’s RBI single in the second inning were the difference as the Bulldogettes kept their state championship hopes alive with a 1-0 victory at the University of Texas’ McCombs Field.
Como-Pickton struck for three runs against Stamford in the first inning Tuesday night in their Class 2A state semifinal.
With ace Mattison Buster hitting her spots, that was more than enough run support for the Lady Eagles, who picked up a 7-1 victory at McCombs Field in Austin.
Como-Pickton (38-2) advances to face Weimar in the 2A championship set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, while the Lady Bulldogs (27-7-1) had their successful season end in the semifinals for the second straight year.
Hermleigh is once again a victory away from its first state softball title.
The Lady Cardinals broke open a scoreless Class 1A state semifinal with a seven-run fifth inning, claiming a 9-3 victory over Dodd City on Tuesday afternoon at McCombs Field in Austin.
And once again, D’Hanis will be standing in Hermleigh’s way of a championship. The two teams will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday in a rematch of last year’s 1A title game that the Cowgirls won 6-2.
A week.
That’s how long the Coahoma softball team took off after last year’s heartbreaking 6-5 loss to Hallettsville in the Class 3A state championship game.
The Bulldogettes returned to work over the summer with one goal — making another trip to Austin and taking care of unfinished business. They haven’t relaxed much since.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Stamford-Forsan softball regional championship playoff (92 images)”
The Stamford softball team is headed back to the Class 2A state tournament for the third consecutive year after routing Forsan 15-1 in Game 2 of the Region I-2A championship series Saturday at Abilene Christian University’s Poly Wells Field.
Leading 4-0 after five innings, the Lady Bulldogs exploded for five runs in the sixth and six more in the seventh to turn a competitive ballgame into a blowout and make an easy winner out of freshman ace Emma Follis, who held a potent Lady Buffalo lineup to just one run on four hits in the victory.
The win, which came after thunderstorms delayed the game’s start by about an hour and a half, improved coach Sean Slavin’s squad to 27-6-1 on the season, while Forsan saw its campaign end at 28-10.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Forsan-Bangs softball region semifinal playoff (81 images)”
A five-run first inning sent all the momentum to the Stamford dugout, and the Lady Bulldogs never let it go, cruising to a 13-2 win over Colorado City on Saturday at the Abilene High softball field to clinch a sweep of their Region I-2A semifinal series with the Lady Wolves.
After Thursday’s Game 1 saw SHS grind out a 2-0 win that was competitive throughout, coach Sean Slavin’s team jumped on C-City early in Game 2, building a 9-0 lead before the Lady Wolves finally got on the board.
The Lady Bulldogs scored in four of their seven trips to the plate, plating at least two runs on each occasion to give starter Emma Follis far more run support than she would need. The victory earned Stamford (25-6-1) a trip to next week’s Region I-5A championship round, where it will face off with Forsan at a time, date and place to be determined.
For the second time this week, Laylonna Applin’s bat in the sixth inning delivered a backbreaking home run.
After doing it in Stamford’s Game 3 win over Cisco on Monday, the senior hammered one out in Game 1 of the Region I-2A semifinal series against Colorado City on Thursday night at Abilene High.
Applin’s blast on Thursday was an insurance run that Emma Follis wound up not needing, but it was the key blow in a 2-0 win by the Lady Bulldogs, who will look to close out the series at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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After the first two games of ther Region I-2A quarterfinal series between Stamford and Cisco were decided by identical 3-2 scores, Lady Bulldogs coach Sean Slavin was looking for any kind of spark to set his team on fire in Monday’s series finale.
Slavin had plenty of choices as to what started the fire at Abilene Christian University’s Poly Wells Field, where the Lady Bulldogs hammered the Lady Loboes 17-3, setting up a region semifinals series with Colorado City that will start Thursday night.
The last time the two teams met in the playoffs, Stamford swept the Lady Wolves in the same round on its way to the 2021 state championship.
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MONAHANS — The Wylie softball team had its season come to a close Friday with a 7-5 loss to El Paso Hanks in Game 2 of a Region I-5A quarterfinal series that began Thursday with a 6-0 Lady Knights win in Game 1.
The sweep ended the Lady Bulldogs’ campaign at 30-8, one round short of the Wylie’s 2019 and 2022 runs to the region semifinals.
The losses ended the high school careers of eight seniors — Rylee Moore, Kat Martinez, Kadance Gilcrease, Reese Farrar, Hanna Hood, Kylee Rodriguez, Nylah Alvarado and Jadyn Fernandez — who were an instrumental part of the Lady Bulldogs’ success the past several seasons.
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BROWNWOOD — It took seven innings and a lot of patience, but the Cisco Lady Loboes managed to do what few would have predicted on Thursday at Brownwood High School.
Trailing 2-0 to Stamford early on, Cisco rallied to win Game 1 of a Region I-2A quarterfinal series, 3-2, defeating a team that is coming off back-to-back trips to the state tournament.
Hannah Rogers tossed a complete game five-hitter and Angie Espinoza was 3 for 4 with two RBIs to lead Cisco (19-8), which can close out the series if it defeats Stamford in Game 2, slated for 4 p.m. Saturday at Early High School.
Game 3, if needed, will follow 30 minutes after Game 2.
Coming off a bi-district sweep of Plainview in which Reese Farrar and Rylee Moore both pitched five-inning one-hitters, it was going to be difficult for Wylie’s co-aces to repeat that performance against El Paso Parkland in the area round.
And yet, they did.
Farrar pitched her second one-hitter of the playoffs while Moore tossed a five-inning no-hitter to fuel the Lady Bulldogs past the Lady Matadors 20-1 and 10-0 and into the Region I-4A quarterfinals, where WHS (30-6) will face off with 36-1 El Paso Hanks this week.
In the process, coach Heather Collier’s dynamic pitching duo claimed our penultimate Big Country Preps Player of the Year award of the 2022-23 school year.
Here is a consolidated look at all of the Big Country softball area playoff action:
Continue reading “SOFTBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: 11 Big Country teams still alive after two weeks”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Hamlin-Bangs softball area-round playoff (64 images)”
Saturday played out the same way Friday did for Abilene’s local softball teams, which was a good thing for Wylie and a bad thing for Abilene High.
The Lady Bulldogs extended their season into the Region I-5A quarterfinals with a 10-0 win over El Paso Parkland in Game 2, while the Lady Eagles saw a successful campaign end with a 7-1 loss to El Paso Hanks.
Wylie will advance now to face Hanks next week in a best-of-three series in Monahans, beginning with Game 1 at 6 p.m. Friday. Abilene High, meanwhile, closed its season at 27-7.
SAN ANGELO — The Bangs Lady Dragons demonstrated two distinct ways to win in Friday’s area round series with Hamlin — a come-from-behind 3-1 victory in Game 1, followed by a harrowing 10-9 escape in Game 2.
By night’s end, Bangs had clinched a spot in the Region I-2A quarterfinals where it will face Hawley next week at a site and time to be determined.
Abby Wolf earned two complete game wins in the circle and was a combined 3 for 8 with three RBIs to lead Bangs (26-4), which is now enjoying one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history.
What looked like it would be a banner day for the Abilene High and Wylie softball teams in the Permian Basin on Friday quickly evaporated in the span of just three outs for the Lady Eagles.
AHS saw El Paso Hanks score five runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn a 7-6 comeback win.
Wylie also had a three-out swing in its game, but the Lady Bulldogs were on the other end as they walloped El Paso Parkland 20-1.
Both best-of-three series will resume on Saturday.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Coahoma-Holliday softball area round playoff (40 images)”
After graduating six key seniors from last year’s 17-13 squad, Abilene High softball coach Jenna Bane admits she wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a much more youthful team this season.
The Lady Eagles were making the move from Class 6A to Class 5A, but they’d be doing so with a number of freshmen and sophomores in key roles.
But what began as a leap of faith on the part of the AHS coaches and players has turned into one of the area’s most noteworthy success stories.
At 27-5, the Lady Eagles have outpaced all reasonable expectations placed on them. And entering a tough area-round playoff series against a 34-1 El Paso Hanks squad this weekend in Fort Stockton, Bane’s bunch is looking to continue that trend right into the Region I-5A quarterfinals.
HAWLEY —What took three days and two games to achieve a year ago was over in a little more than 90 minutes this time around.
In a rematch of last year’s Region I-3A championship series, Coahoma and Holliday met in a one-game winner-take-all area round clash on Thursday, with CHS ending Holliday’s season for a second straight year with a 4-0 win.
Hannah Wells tossed a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs to lead Coahoma (29-3) which advances to face either Comfort or Henrietta in the Region I-3A quarterfinals.
Wylie softball coach Heather Collier joins the show.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Early-Jacksboro softball bi-district playoff (20 images)”
It’s always a great accomplishment to go to the state track meet in multiple events. But when it’s done in dominating fashion at the Class 4A level or above, you’re generally talking about a very special, gifted athlete.
Our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, Victoria Cameron of Stephenville, falls directly into that category and she has the regional hardware to prove it.
Taking four gold medals at the Region I-4A meet, Cameron scored 30 individual points while clinching four berths to the state meet.
The Abilene High and Wylie softball teams closed out bi-district sweeps on Saturday, advancing to next week’s area round with lopsided Game 2 wins.
The Lady Eagles followed a 6-0 Game 1 victory over Amarillo Caprock with an 11-1 rout in Game 2, while the Lady Bulldogs trounced Plainview 10-0 a day after claiming an 11-1 win in Game 1.
With the series victory, AHS moves on to take on 34-1 El Paso Hanks next week in the second round. Wylie, meanwhile, will face El Paso Parkland (18-16).
EARLY — It was six hours of insanity with a half hour bathroom break in the middle. But by the time the dust settled, the Early Lady Longhorns had posted back-to-back one-run victories to eliminate Jacksboro in a best-of-three bi-district series that may never be forgotten by those who played in it.
Having lost Game 1 on Thursday, Early rallied to take Game 2, 9-8 Saturday evening. But that was a mere warmup for the storm ahead: An 18-17 knockdown drag-out affair that didn’t end until after 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Fans arrived in short sleeves, enjoying a warm evening. They left wrapped in blankets as a late-night chill dominated Game 3 several hours later.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Snyder-Glen Rose softball bi-district playoff series (227 photos)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Brownwood-Levelland softball bi-district playoff (59 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Stephenville-Sweetwater softball bi-district playoff (108 images)”
After a thrilling extra-innings win over Glen Rose in Friday’s series opener, the Snyder softball team needed to win just one game on Saturday at Cougar Diamond to advance in the Region I-4A postseason.
When Ava Aviles launched a home run in the top of the sixth inning of Game 2 that landed on top of the batting cages to give Snyder a one-run lead, it appeared as though the Lady Tigers were on the verge of sweeping the series.
Glen Rose’s Mia Fletcher answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, though, to propel Glen Rose to a 6-5 win before her squad scored early and often in Game 3 to secure a 10-3 win and complete a series rally.
The Abilene High and Wylie softball teams opened the playoffs with impressive showings Friday, each winning the opener of their Region I-5A bi-district series with comfortable wins.
The Lady Eagles shut out Amarillo Caprock 6-0 at Lubbock Cooper, while the Lady Bulldogs routed Plainview 11-1 at Lubbock Christian University.
Both teams will try to close out their series Saturday, when play resumes with Game 2 at their same respective sites.
Leave no doubt.
That’s what the Brownwood softball team wanted to do after a late rally on Thursday gave it a 1-0 series lead over Levelland.
Friday afternoon, Chloe Walls left no doubt, as her bat propelled the Lady Lions to a 12-0 win over the Lady Loboes at Cougar Diamond and a sweep of the Region I-4A bi-district series.
Trailing 5-1 and down to their final three outs, the Snyder Lady Tigers needed a spark Friday in Game 1 of their best-of-three bi-district series against Glen Rose.
Coach Regina Cummings’ squad had been limited to just five hits through the first six innings and was shut out until Ava Aviles’ solo home run in the fifth.
But after struggling to find their bats for most of the game against Glen Rose starter Shannon Wright, SHS got the jolt it needed in the seventh in the form of a leadoff home run by Tayla Jamison. That blast to left kick started a six-hit frame that would also feature a two-run shot by Aviles and a game-tying double by Arynne Vasquez to force extra innings, where the home team completed a dramatic 6-5 win with Saleigh Hernandez’s walk-off home run in the ninth.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Cisco-Haskell softball bi-district playoff (63 images)”
BRECKENRIDGE — The Sweetwater softball team opened the playoffs in explosive fashion Thursday, racking up 17 hits in a 13-2 run-rule victory over Stephenville in Game 1 of a best-of-three Region I-4A bi-district series.
The Lady Mustangs scored at least one run in every inning, plating four in the first and three in the second to build an early lead they’d only add to the rest of the way.
With Thursday’s victory, Sweetwater will have a chance to clinch a sweep and a spot in the area round when the series resumes with Game 2 at 5 p.m. Friday back in Breckenridge. Game 3, if necessary, would follow 30 minutes after the completion of Game 2.
ANSON — The first two games of the Region I-2A bi-district softball matchup between Cisco and Haskell were anything but pretty.
Over the course of five hours, the two teams combined for 29 runs, 32 hits and 27 errors as they split the first two games of the best-of-three series at Anson on Thursday night.
Haskell took the opening game 8-7 in eight innings before the Lady Loboes bounced back with a 14-0 win in the second game.
NOTE: WITH THE REGULAR SEASON COMING TO A CLOSE, THIS WILL BE OUR FINAL SOFTBALL STATISTICAL LEADERS LIST FOR 2023
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 27 (top 25 in each category).
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
A no-hitter alone is often enough to secure the Big Country Preps Player of the Week award. But when it’s backed by a solid offensive performance, it’s very difficult to get knocked off of the perch.
Brock sophomore Jesse Rusinek takes this week’s accolade after holding Eastland hitless in a 15-0 mercy rule win that saw him miss a perfect game by one walk. He fanned 12 in the process.
“He was dealin’ out there,” Brock coach Kobe Page said of the stuff Rusinek had in the Eastland game. “When he’s on, he’s pretty tough … just showing up, battling and moving the ball around the strike zone. He was ‘on.'”
