Hughes Springs falls in semifinals-
Lady Mustangs fall to Little River, 3-2
AUSTIN—Hughes Springs' first visit to the UIL state softball tournament ended in heartache.
The Lady Mustangs fell behind early to Little River Academy in the Class 3A state semifinal game Wednesday, blanked the Lady Bumblebees over the final six innings, but weren't able to come up with the hits they needed during a season-ending 3-2 loss at Red and Charline McCombs Field.
Little River Academy (36-8) advances to play Santa Gertrudis Academy (39-2) in today's state final at 6 p.m. SGA beat Brock, 8-2, earlier in the day.
Hughes Springs, which graduated just one senior in right fielder Katelyn Roth, ends its year at 34-4.
“Win or lose, there's nothing we can do wrong: we're one of the top four teams in the state,” Lady Mustang coach Tisha Thompson said. “We knew we were going to have to hit with them, and we couldn't get anything to fall. We wore that second baseman out; we just couldn't get anything to go through when we needed it to.”
Gaby Hay picked up the win in the circle to run her record to 33-7, needing 94 pitches to cover seven innings. Hay gave up four hits, struck out one, walked two and hit four.
Marisol Kennedy absorbed the loss, pitching all seven for the Mustangs. Kennedy (16-3 on the season) scattered 11 hits, fanned four and walked none.
The Bumblebees didn't waste any time, taking the early lead in the top of the first.
Kennedy Jimenez grounded a single into left with one out, and Avery McDaniel followed with a sharply-hit
single to left. Destini Hulsey doubled into the left-center field alley to plate the first run, and Lenzi Stewart lined a 2-run single over the second baseman to make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the first, Peyton Blythe was hit by a pitch leading off the frame. After a sacrifice bunt, Shelbie Fickling worked a 4-pitch walk. Haylee Wilson's hard grounder up the middle was fielded by LRA shortstop Jimenez, who threw to first for the second out.
Blythe raced all the way around from second on the fielder's choice, sliding into home head first ahead of a throw to make it 3-1.
A hit batsman and walk put two on for the Mustangs in the second, but a deep flyout to center ended the threat. Little River Academy got singles from Destini Hulsey, Stewart and Makayla Henry in the third, but Kennedy was able to work out of the jam to leave the bases loaded.
“I can't take anything away from Little River; they put hits on the board,” Thompson said. “When you get here you can do everything you can do—keep your composure in the face of adversity, play solid defense, pitch well—what you've been doing all year, and you've got to hope the chips fall your way. They didn't fall our way tonight.”
Fickling doubled into the right-field corner with one out in the bottom of the third for the first hit off Hay. Haylee Wilson lined a single to right, and Kylah Hulsey threw a strike to the plate to get Fickling out at home for the second out.
Kennedy doubled over the right fielder's head to drive in Wilson to make it 3-2.
Hay and Jimenez had 1-out singles in the fourth for the Bumblebees, but a popout to shortstop Kensley Echols in shallow center and a rocket lineout to third baseman Pearl Perry stranded the pair of runners at second and third.
Kennedy retired the last seven Bumblebees in a row and 11 of 12 starting in the fourth inning.
Both teams stranded eight runners. Hughes Springs left two on in scoring position in the fifth and a runner at first to end the game on a groundout to third.
“I'm extremely proud of these girls—beyond proud,” Thompson said. “I told them, ‘keep your head up because we're going to come back next year.'”
Henry was 2 for 3 for LRA, and Hay, Jimenez, Destini Hulsey and Stewart were each 2 for 4, Hulsey contributing a double.
Fickling and Kennedy each had a double, and Wilson and Charlie Reeves added singles.