Lady Mustangs advance to Region II-3A title series
COMMERCE, Texas—Would you believe Hughes Springs coach Tisha Thompson had two aces up her sleeve Saturday?
Sophomores Zoe Lanier and Marisol Kennedy combined on a three-hitter at Texas A&M University-Commerce's John Cain Family Softball Field to eliminate Lone Oak in the Region II-3A semifinals, 5-1.
Hughes Springs (32-3) lost the series opener to the Lady Buffs, 3-2, but rebounded to win the second game, 4-0, and Saturday's decisive third game. The Lady Mustangs play Howe for the regional championship here next week on Thursday and Saturday. Howe was the runnerup to Lone Oak in District 10-3A, beating Hooks in a three-game series Friday.
“I knew after Friday's win that I would start Zoe in the circle today,” Thompson said. “I told her I needed at least three innings from her, and I got four. They got on her a little bit in the third, and I knew it was time to bring Marisol on in the fifth.”
The score was deadlocked 1-1 when Kennedy replaced Lanier, but that changed in the top of the sixth.
Haylee Wilson's liner to center was dropped for a two-base error, and she was standing on third after Kennedy's sacrifice bunt. Kensley Echols drove Mariah Nichols' next pitch down the right field line for a triple and put the Mustangs on top for good.
One out later Charlie Reeves slapped a drive down the same line for another triple and 3-1 lead. She scored when Katelyn Roth smashed a 1-2 offering into left for a single that made it 4-1.
“I had one opportunity to scout Nichols, and I told my girls to hang tough because it appears she gets a little tired in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings,” Thompson said. “I thought that was when we'd get our opportunities to score a lot of runs. We finally hit the ball in the third game of the series.”
Nichols had given up a total of seven hits in the first two games, but allowed eight Saturday. Reeves was the only Mustang player with more than one hit, driving in the first run with a single, and another with her sixth-inning triple.
In her four innings of work, Lanier walked two, allowed two hits and struck out one. Kennedy held the Lady Buffs scoreless in her three innings of work on one hit and three strikeouts. She was the winner.
Both teams had two errors in the game.
Lone Oak (31-7) scored its only run in the third when Maddie Moser reached on an infield error. She stole second, and two outs later scored when Ashlee Isenburg doubled off the right field fence. Isenburg was thrown out trying to stretch her hit to a triple.
“I wasn't worried too much about errors,” Thompson said. “We've got a pretty good defense. I was hoping they would make a few more than two, but you don't see that often in the regional semifinals
“We didn't hit the ball great in this series, but that's where we're at in the playoffs. It's going to get harder and harder to get hits and score runs as we advance. We know Howe is good. They can hit, run and they've got two good pitchers. We shouldn't have to say anything to get our girls motivated.”
The series with Howe is scheduled to start Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The second game will be Saturday evening because Hughes Springs' graduation is Friday, and Howe's graduation is Saturday afternoon. If a third game is necessary it will be played late Saturday after the second game. Hughes Springs 010 003 1 – 5 8 2 Lone Oak 001 000 0 – 1 3 2 Zoe Lanier, Marisol Kennedy (5) and Kennedi Northam; Mariah Nichols and Sarah Kizer. WP-Kennedy; LP-Nichols.