Lady Mustangs head to Austin with purpose,
HUGHES SPRINGS, Texas— Hughes Springs’ softball team is playing with a purpose.
The Lady Mustangs (29-3) clash with Grandview (40-1) at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the 3A state semifinal at Red and Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas in Austin.
The other semifinal pits Santa Gertrudis Academy (38-1) against Brock (33-5) at 6 p.m., and the 3A championship game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday.
The regional tournament and five single-elimination games have better prepared an already talented, experienced Hughes Springs team for the state tournament, which is single-elimination.
“Before the playoffs ever started, we talked to the girls about being ready, because we were going to have to be prepared to play every single team in just one game, and that each one of those teams would
bring their best in that game,” Lady Mustangs coach Tisha Thompson said. “That has definitely prepared us for the state tournament. You always want them to take it one game at a time, and that’s how it panned out for us.”
Hughes Springs beat Cooper, 17-0, in the bi-district round; Beckville, 10-0, in the area; Hooks, 18-7, in the regional quarterfinals; Pilot Point, 14-2, in the regional semis; and New Boston, 11-5, in the Region II-3A championship game.
In all five rounds, the Mustangs lost the coin flip for a series versus one game. In the playoffs, coaches may agree on one game or a series, but if there is not a consensus, a coin flip decides the outcome.
Of its first four opponents in the region, Hughes Springs 10-run ruled them.
The Mustangs repeated at regional champions, but they still have “Unfinished Business,” the mantra for the team this season.
Last spring, Hughes Springs won the regional title for the first time and made its first appearance in school history in the state softball tournament. The Mustangs, who had been ranked No. 1 throughout the postseason in 2017, were edged by eventual state champion Little River Academy, 3-2, in the state semifinals.
Not just getting back to the state tournament, but performing up to their potential and winning the 3A championship has been a goal for the Mustangs all season. Hughes Springs returned all but one starter this season.
Junior pitchers Marisol Kennedy and Zoe Lanier have alternated starts during the playoffs.
Defensive starters for the Mustangs will include Kennedi Northam behind the plate, Shelbie Fickling at first base, Abbye McKinney at second, Kensley Echols at third or designated player and Haylee Wilson at shortstop.
Kennedy plays third when not pitching.
Hughes Springs’ outfield features Pearl Perry in right, Peyton Blythe in center and Charlie Reeves in left.
“The experience they have is huge,” Thompson said. “They’re confident in themselves. They’re confident in their preparation. They’re confident in their teammates.
“They get along really well, and they’re always doing things together. They challenge each other in every practice. And it’s not just the starters; everybody has somebody at every position pushing them to get better.”
That’s the level of depth Hughes Springs has developed, the level of talent it brings to the field each day.