Category: Softball

by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Wylie cruises past Parkland; AHS sees season end with loss to Hanks

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. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Lady Dragons sweep Hamlin to advance to regional quarterfinals

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. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Wylie bats explode late against Parkland; Hanks rallies past AHS

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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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Young Abilene High softball squad making waves ahead of schedule

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.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Coahoma ends Holliday’s season for second straight year

Coahoma’s Brynn Rodgers (left) and Holliday’s Jaci Shepherd watch a pitch in the third inning of Thursday’s area round game at Hawley.

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.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Cameron takes this week’s award

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. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Abilene High, Wylie secure bi-district sweeps to advance to area round

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).

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Early eliminates Jacksboro in back-to-back nail-biters

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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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Late homer in Game 2 propels Glen Rose rally for series win

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.

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by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Abilene High, Wylie kick off playoffs with lopsided wins

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.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Walls’ two homers launch Brownwood into second round

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.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Snyder rallies from 5-0 deficit to take down Glen Rose in nine innings

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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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Sweetwater run-rules Stephenville 13-2 to open best-of-three bi-district series

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.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Haskell, Cisco split first two games of bi-district series

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.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Softball Statistical Leaders (through April 27)

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. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brock sophomore takes this week’s accolade with mercy rule no-hitter

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.'”

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Talented, aggressive Bangs softball squad focused on the now heading into postseason play

As the Bangs softball team was putting the finishing touches on an 11-0 blanking of Miles on Friday, coach Leslea Miller could have been tempted to move one eye, at least, to the spot on next week’s calendar that notes the beginning of the UIL playoffs.

She didn’t.

Never mind that the Lady Dragons (23-4 and 14-0) have already clinched a spot and have blitzed through district foes like a tornado, winning all but three games by the run rule. Curiously, Friday’s 11-run triumph didn’t qualify, as it took a five-run seventh inning for Bangs to put the Lady Bulldogs away.

Never mind, also, that Bangs has recorded nine district shutouts, while scoring 191 runs in the process.

And, finally, never mind that the Big Country Preps roster of weekly statistics leaders is a veritable Bangs tribute chronicle.

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Young, tight-knit Brownwood softball team excited to make playoff return

At the end of every practice and game, Brownwood’s softball team breaks out shouting the word “family.” 

First-year head coach Cherita Munguia believes that mantra has been an important one for a squad that often starts five sophomores and a freshman. 

“They love each other fiercely and play like a family,” Munguia said. “They’re extremely hungry, are super coachable and have an energy that’s unmatched. It’s been a really exciting journey.” 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie softball locks up No. 2 playoff seed with 9-1 win over Lubbock Cooper on Senior Night

The Wylie softball team wrapped up the runner-up spot in the District 4-5A standings on Friday, pulling away for a 9-1 home win over Lubbock Cooper in the regular season finale for both teams.

Mycala Reed highlighted a three-run second inning with a two-run homer to put the Lady Bulldogs in control early, and pitchers Rylee Moore and Reese Farrar took care of the rest, combining to limit the Lady Pirates to a one unearned run on just three hits.

The victory improved WHS to 26-6 overall and 10-2 in district play, securing the No. 2 playoff seed behind champion Lubbock Monterey and earning a bi-district matchup next week with District 3-5A’s third-place finisher, Plainview. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Hamlin snags No. 2 seed with important win over Hawley

HAMLIN — With Stamford clinching the league title on Friday, the only drama remaining in District 7-2A occurred in Hamlin, where the Lady Pipers and Hawley had a second-seed issue to settle in a winner-take-all matchup at Hamlin High.

The Lady Pipers (21-6, 6-2) claimed the No. 2 spot with a 6-3 win behind a solid pitching effort from Zoe Moore, an error-free defense and an 11-hit barrage that saw no fewer than five doubles.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Clyde holds off late Jim Ned rally to end the regular season

TUSCOLA — With two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Jim Ned’s Libbie Brnovak stepped to the plate with her squad trailing Clyde 5-1 in the District 6-3A regular season finale on Friday afternoon.

Brnovak ripped a shot into right-center that scored Makenzie Ince and Briana Jones, but she was thrown out at third base on a strong throw by Chasity Davis, and the Lady Bulldogs escaped with a 5-3 win to clinch third place outright.

The Lady Indians, meanwhile, tied for fourth place with Wall but still earned a playoff berth by virtue of their sweeping the Lady Hawks in the opening week of district play.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Stephenville softball avenges loss to Brownwood with win at BHS

BROWNWOOD — Just three days after a 4-2 home-field loss to archrival Brownwood, the Stephenville Honey Bees came to BHS on Friday seeking a little payback in a District 6-4A rematch.

Mission accomplished. 

Helped by a gritty pitching performance from Presley Gaitain and a three-run third inning, the Honey Bees (15-11, 3-3) held on for a 5-3 win, keeping them in solid contention for a No. 2 playoff seed. 

Making multiple switches to her batting order, Stephenville coach Kady Crow threw caution to the wind prior to gametime and the gamble paid off. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: AHS softball beats Coronado as Bane earns 100th career win

About the only thing that didn’t go right for the Abilene High softball team on Friday night was when the Lady Eagles attempted to dump a water cooler over coach Jenna Bane’s head following the game.

Senior Devany Chacon hit a two-run home run as the Lady Eagles sent their five seniors (four players and a manager) out with a 13-0 win over Lubbock Coronado in their final home game wearing black and gold.

The win was also the 100th of Bane’s seven-year coaching career.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: AHS softball beats Coronado as Bane earns 100th career win” →

by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Lady Tigers rally to top Cisco in high-profile nondistrict matchup

CISCO — Two very likely playoff teams got a sneak preview of what postseason competition will be like in a nondistrict softball game on Tuesday. 

Trailing 6-3 after three innings, the Hico Lady Tigers rallied for a 9-6 win at Cisco in a battle of two clubs who are both chasing potential district championships — Hico in District 12-2A and Cisco in District 8-2A. 

Kiersten Fincannon was 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and six RBIs to lead Hico (14-8), which outscored Cisco 6-0 over the final four innings to get the win. Fincannon also went the distance in the circle, scattering eight Cisco hits and overcoming five errors committed behind her to get the win. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Snyder baseballer edges Snyder softballer for top spot

It’s difficult to trump a no-hitter, though Snyder’s Ava Aviles came close last week. 

Aviles, who threw back-to-back two-hitters for Snyder softball, is our first runner-up to her classmate, Player of the Week Ty Davis and his first career no-hitter. 

Davis earned a 13-2 five-inning win over Levelland last week, holding LHS hitless in the mercy rule win, finishing with five strikeouts. 

“Ty has continued to improve on the mound and has given us some excellent innings this season, none bigger than last Tuesday with his no-hit performance,” Snyder coach Shane Stewart said. ” I am proud of him and looking forward to watching him mature as a pitcher and a young man.”

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: O’Brien’s seventh-inning homer spoils strong AHS effort in 4-2 loss to Monterey

The red-hot Abilene High softball team found itself a strike away from knocking off first-place Lubbock Monterey on Thursday at the AHS softball field. But an 0-2 single by Makayla Perez extended the game for Rylee O’Brien, who sent the first pitch she saw over the fence in left to lift the Lady Plainsmen to an improbable 4-2 victory over the Lady Eagles.

Perez’s home run spoiled what had otherwise been a remarkable performance for Abilene High starter Diana Silva, who shut out Monterey (24-4-1 overall, 9-0 in District 4-5A) through the first five innings and allowed just three hits through the first six.

The gut-wrenching loss dropped AHS to 22-5 on the year and 6-3 in District 4-5A action, pushing them a half-game behind Wylie () for third in the league standings. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Freshman pitcher Reyes bears down, AHS hitters come through in 9-5 win over Cooper

Already trailing crosstown rival Cooper 2-0 and staring at a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the top of second inning, Abilene High pitcher Avah Reyes found herself in quite a jam Tuesday evening at the AHS softball field.

Entering the night tied with idle Wylie for second place in the District 4-5A standings, the Lady Eagles needed the freshman to dig deep and keep them in the game until their bats could come around. 

With her back against the wall, Reyes did exactly that, following her third of 10 strikeouts with back-to-back comeback grounders to escape the inning unscathed, allowing her lineup to score eight unanswered runs in a 9-5 win. The victory — the fifth in a row for the 22-4 Lady Eagles — improved AHS to 6-2 in league play heading into big matchup with first-place Lubbock Monterey on Thursday.

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