Lady Eagles even series, force Game 3
With its season on the line, the Barbers Hill varsity softball team defeated Angleton 5-4 on Thursday at Cougar Softball Field, forcing a game three in the Region III Class 5A regional finals.
“The score is switched from last night, but it was almost like we were in the exact same scenario,” Barbers Hill head coach Aaron Fuller said. “We had a onerun lead going into the last inning, but the only difference tonight was that we kind of kept our composure.”
Angleton racked up a 4-0 lead by the third inning, scoring one run in the second and three in the third.
Barbers Hill responded quickly in the bottom of the thirdwith a pair of doubles to get on the board. The Eagles’ Hayley Freudenberg later tied the game at 4-4 with a two-out, two-run home run over the left field wall.
Neither team mounted much of an offense during the fourth and fifth innings. A couple of triples were wasted as fly balls hurt the Eagles’ chances of scoring, while the Ladycats’ were held in check by Samantha Landry’s pitching.
At one point Landrystruck out six consecutive batters.
“She may be a sophomore, but she doesn’t pitch like she’s a sophomore” Fuller said. “She pitches like she’s been here before.”
With the game knotted at four in the bottom of the sixth, Barbers Hill took advantage when an error turned a single to right field into a a runner on third. A sacrifice fly drove in what proved to be the winning run for the Eagles.
“This deep in the playoffs, you can’t make little mistakes and still expect to win,” Fuller said. “Great teams take advantage of those mistakes.”
Game three of the series is set for 3 p.m. Saturday. The winner will advance to the 5A state tournament.
“This is a heavyweight fight here between two of the best teams in the state,” Fuller said. “It’s gonna be a dogfight and it wouldn’t surprise me if Saturday goes into extra innings.”