Tompkins has grand time
First-inning slam propels Falcons past Kempner into area round
SUGAR LAND — Mackenzie Brown took a good long look at the Kempner pitching menu in Tompkins’ series-opening Class 6A playoff victory.
She came hungry for Game 2 on Friday.
The junior cleanup batter hit her first high school grand slam before the Falcons’ first out, sparking a 13-3, six-inning victory over the Cougars that secured a bi-district sweep and the program’s first series win in the playoffs.
“This is really cool,” Brown said. “We’ve been working on this for the last three years, so to be part of going to the second round is huge for us.”
Tompkins will face Bellaire or Cypress Woods next week in the area round.
The Falcons won the first game of the series 6-3 at home Thursday, setting up a potential playoff series win on the road.
It was as sweet as they anticipated, too.
Third year is a charm
Tompkins, in its third varsity campaign, was fifth in district the first two years and missed the playoffs each time.
The Falcons’ determination to break through spurred them to a secondplace finish this season.
“It left a bad taste in their mouths, so they wanted to make sure there was no guessing — and that it wasn’t even close — on making the playoffs, and then goes as far as we can,” coach Katy Maxey said.
The decisive game wasn’t close, either.
Kaitlynn Kinslow and Kendall McGary each walked, and Zoe Pruden singled, setting up Brown, their power-hitting first baseman, who blasted a grand slam to center and into a strong wind that was gusting in.
“It felt amazing,” said Brown, who finished 3-for5 with five RBIs. “I thought I hit a little popup, so it went a lot farther than I thought it would go.”
Her run-scoring single gave Tompkins a 5-0 lead in the second.
The Falcons tacked on four in the third, highlighted by Kinslow’s two-run single, and then pushed the lead to 12-1 in the fourth.
But a shrinking strike zone extended the game.
Starter Sydney Hodge issued three of her six walks in the third, helping Kempner get its first run on a Tompkins error, and then two in the fourth on Star Ferguson’s two-run double. Ferguson was thrown out retreating to second, but Kempner avoided falling in five.
Sealing the deal
The Falcons sealed it in the sixth on consecutive doubles by Pruden and McGary, with Pruden scoring the final run. She went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs, two doubles and a sacrifice fly.
Tompkins racked up 13 hits — seven for extra bases — and six walks, including a pinch-hit, RBI single by Kennedy Carter.
Hodge earned the win, striking out five with three runs allowed on three hits in six innings.
Kempner’s Ashley Fucik took the loss. She started and finished, with Claire Chernosky tossing 21⁄3 innings in the middle.
Ferguson went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk.
“This is really exciting,” Maxey said. “We have our first group of seniors who’ve been with us for four years … so I’ve had these kids since we were only allowed to play JV, and it’s great to see their hard work finally come full circle and pay off.”