The Lady Cats’ softball team wrapped up the district championship with a 7-5 victory over Mount Pleasant on a big Friday night that included Senior Night and dedication of renovated Lady Cat Park.
It was anything but an easy victory. The Lady Cats went on top 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning on a Kelsey Wallace home run way over the left field wall. The Lady Tigers tied the game at 1-1 scoring with a double, a passed ball, a walk and a fielder’s choice ground out. Mount Pleasant then took the lead with two runs in the top of the third using an RBI single and a fielder’s choice ground out. The Lady Cats roared back with four runs in the bottom of the third to go up 5-3. Alyssa Abron doubled and scored on a Wallace single. Brinklee Driver walked. Abbi Baier ran for Driver. Wallace scored on a Sadie Stroud double. Alli Fite’s sacrifice fly scored Baier. Kate Womack then singled and scored on a Sierra Smith double. The Lady Cats went up 7-3 with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Abron and Wallace walked to start a two out rally. Driver’s single scored Abron and Stroud’s single scored Wallace. Then the Lady Cats just held off the Lady Tigers. Mount Pleasant cut the lead to 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth with a two run home run by Lauren Lesher. In the top of the seventh with two outs, the Lady Tigers sent the tying run to the plate after a Carson Zachry double. Kamille Gill hit a hard ground ball to shortstop and Lady Cat Kelsey Wallace threw a strike to first baseman Driver to end the threat and give the Lady Cats the win and their district championship.
Bailey Haggerty got the pitching win allowing 4 earned runs and 8 hits while striking out three and walking three.
The Lady Cats improved their season record to 24-5 and they ended district play with a district best 11-1 record. The outright district championship is the first for Lady Cats Coach David Carrillo in his twelve years in Sulphur Springs. His Lady Cats shared a title with Texas High in 2009. The Lady Cats last won a sole district championship in the early 2000’s when they won three in a row for then head coach John McCullough.
The Lady Cats now face Lovejoy in a bi-district series next week with details still to be determined.
