Lady Lions earn trip to finals
SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas—A deep playoff win is good, but to dominate puts a team on another level.
Morgan McAlexander pitched a two-hitter shutout as New Boston run ruled Howe, 10-0, over six innings in Game 2 of a Class 3A regional semifinal game at Sulphur Springs High School’s Lady Cat Field on Friday.
The Lady Lions earned a berth in the Class 3A region- al finals and will play either Hughes Springs or Pilot Point.
“We got home late last night and it was a hot day, but the girls came out fully charged and ready to go,” Lion head coach B.J. Brown said. “It’s exciting. We get to represent New Boston and get to bring part of the town with us. The girls start to see that this is bigger than us. A sense of pride comes over us when we realize that we get to represent a
town…a community.”
The New Boston ace tossed six innings of shutout ball, struck out 11, walked one, and gave up just two hits.
“Everyone has worked really hard for this, so it’s a big thing,” Morgan McAlexander said. “We have definitely earned the spot and, as a team, we knew that we could do this together. I am happy for the seniors.”
Angel Evans hit a walk off single to center in the sixth frame to cement the win for the Lions. Morgan McAlexander, who had laced in double down the third base line with the Lions cruising 9-0, scored the winning run. Morgan McAlexander was the game’s leading hitter as she went 3 for 3 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI.
“Getting that hit was amazing,” Evans, a senior, said. “But it’s about the team, and I am proud for them. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to pull through for them.”
Morgan McAlexander, smacked a one-run double to left field to give her team a 2-0 lead in the first. Two batters later, Grace Duffer belted a triple as two runs scored to extend the Lions’ lead, 4-0.
Emily McAlexander slapped a pitch back to the pitcher, beat out the throw for a single, and moved up to third after a Bulldog throwing error. Carlee Ratcliff hit a hard single to third base to score Emily McAlexander to make it 5-0.
Morgan McAlexander crushed a two-run homer over the left field wall to pad the Lions’ lead, 7-0, after two innings.
Alexis Morden led off the third with a single to center, and a batter later McKenzee Thomas walked. Grace Duffer laid down the sacrifice bunt to move Morden up to second. Morden reached third on a wild pitch.
Lauren Hurst hit a onerun single deep into the hole at short to score Morden. Thomas scored on an RBI bunt single by Alaysia Henderson to put New Boston up, 9-0.
The Lions loaded the bases with no outs after Howe’s pitcher walked three in a row in the fourth but failed to get a run across.