Amarillo High Makes history
For the first time in program history the Amarillo High Lady Sandies are headed to the third round of the UIL Class 5A playoffs.
The Lady Sandies had to rally back after dropping Game 1 on Friday night 8-5 to El Paso Ysleta, gutting out two wins Saturday, 11-6, and 6-1, in the area round to advance.
Coming into the playoffs, AHS had only made two appearances in the second round. The first was in 2007, then this season.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” AHS softball coach Ty Hoobler said. “This team set this goal at the first of the year. We’ve been working so hard for this and the girls have really bought in. We didn’t quit after Friday night, and I’m so proud of how they performed. We want to keep this going.”
The Lady Sandies (26-12-1) will play Lubbock Monterey in a regional quarterfinal matchup at a time and place to be determined.
Kylee Landsbury and Danae Lopez were clutch in the 11-6, Game 2 victory to force a decisive rubber match. Lopez was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, driving in three runs. Landsbury was also 3-for-4 scoring four times.
In Game 3, pitcher Bethany Noble dominated Ysleta tossing a complete game with nine K’s.
Randall sweeps El Paso Hanks
In a very competitive Class 5A area round series, the Randall Lady Raiders earned a sweep of El Paso Hanks at Odessa High on Friday and Saturday.
Randall won the opening contest 11-10, followed by an 8-6 victory in Game 2 on Saturday afternoon.
With the pair of wins Randall (24-11-1) advances to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2016, and will face Abilene Wylie at a time and place to be determined.
Randall rallied in Game 1. Trailing 8-6, Brooke Alvarado drove in two runs on a single to tie the game, 8-8, in the bottom of the fifth. The Lady Raiders took the lead for good on an Anberlin O’Dell single in the bottom of the sixth.
During Saturday’s game, scored four runs in the top of the seventh that forced extra innings tied, 6-6. Hope Soria then showed her heroics in the top of the eighth delivering a clutch 2-run home run that lifted Randall to victory. Leah Garcia was huge in the series going a combined 4-for-9. Destinee Hernandez drove in a team-high five RBIs over both games.
Class 4A
Canyon soars past Greenwood
Canyon had no problems with Midland Greenwood in the Class 4A area round.
The Lady Eagles picked up strong pitching and timely hitting earning a 5-0 win at home Friday, followed by a 16-2 run-rule blowout at Greenwood on Saturday.
Berkley Bradley provided the pop at the plate going a com 5-for-6 with two homers, a double, and a total of seven RBIs.
Mikaila Gilliland chipped in Saturday with a 3-for-3 effort at the dish with a double and three RBIs.
In the circle, junior Kylie Knowles was in complete control. Knowles threw all 13 innings of the sweep without giving up an earned run, totaling 15 K’s.
Canyon (26-10) is on to the regional quarterfinals to play Andrews at a time and place to be determined.
Pampa survives Fort Stockton
The Pampa Lady Harvesters had to make it a full Saturday, however, held on for a 5-2 win in a decisive Game 3 to beat Fort Stockton in the Class 4A area round in Snyder.
Pampa had won Game 1 on Friday night, 10-1, only to see Fort Stockton rebound for a 15-3 victory in the early game Saturday.
The Lady Harvesters were able to regroup behind the arm of sophomore Kynleigh Kirby to take the third game by a 5-2 count.
Kirby, who went over 200 strikeouts on the season Friday, was stellar in the rubber match tossing all seven innings giving up two earned runs with nine strikeouts.
The offense was driven by third baseman Hallie Hawthorne, who delivered a big 2-run homer in the top of the seventh giving Pampa much needed breathing room.
The Lady Harvesters (27-8-1) takes on Monahans in the regional quarterfinals at a time and place to be determined.
Class 3A
Bushland rolls over Littlefield
Bushland used its big bats and dominant pitching to ease past Littlefield by scores of 10-0, and 14-1, in the Class 3A area round at Dimmitt.
Lady Falcons pitcher Brylee Adams handcuffed the Lady Wildcats in both victories. Adams pitched a combined 11 innings totaling 13 strikeouts, and scattering six hits. The sophomore also went 6-for-7 in the sweep delivering a two homers, a double, stacking up five RBIs. Teammate Jillian Howell drove in a total of six runs in two days, and homered in Game 1.
Bushland (29-8) is headed to the regional quarterfinals for a fifth straight year. The Lady Falcons will take on Idalou at a time and place to be determined.
River Road keeps on rolling
For the first time in four years the River Road Lady Wildcats are headed back to the third round of the playoffs.
River Road took down Presidio with a 7-3 win on Friday, followed by a 5-4 win to complete the sweep in the Class 3A area round in Monahans.
It’s the Lady Wildcats first appearance in the regional quarterfinals since the 2018 campaign. River Road (24-10-1) is now set to square off with Lamesa with the first game of a best-of-three series starting at 6 p.m. Thursday in Littlefield.
Game 2 saw some dramatics for River Road. Trailing 4-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Lady Wildcats tied the game, 4-4, Carolyn Koval ground out that plated Ava Sharp. Moments later, Makanna Cooper doubled on the first pitch of her at-bat for a walk-off win that scored Shiyan Lozano. Koval was 4-for-8 in the series with a pair of RBIs. Sharp pitched all eight innings of the second game rolling up 10 strikeouts, allowing only two earned runs.
Area round softball scores
Friday-Saturday
Class 5A
Amarillo High def. El Paso Ysleta, 2-1
Game 1: EP Ysleta 8, Amarillo High 5
Game 2: Amarillo High 11, EP Ysleta 6
Game 3: Amarillo High 6, EP Ysleta 1
Records: AHS 26-12-1; EP Ysleta 20-12.
Randall sweeps El Paso Hanks, 2-0
Game 1: Randall 11, EP Hanks 10
Game 2: Randall 8, EP Hanks 6
Records: Randall 24-11-1; EP Hanks 34-5.
Class 4A
Canyon sweeps Midland Greenwood, 2-0
Game 1: Canyon 5, Greenwood 0
Game 2: Canyon 16, Greenwood 2
Records: Canyon 26-10; Greenwood 18-19-1.
Pampa def. Fort Stockton, 2-1
Game 1: Pampa 10, Fort Stockton 1
Game 2: Fort Stockton 15, Pampa 3
Game 3: Pampa 5, Fort Stockton 2
Records: Pampa 27-8-1; Fort Stockton 15-14.
Andrews def. Dumas, 2-1
Game 1: Andrew 3, Dumas 2
Game 2: Dumas 6, Andrews 5
Game 3: Andrews 15, Dumas 11
Records: Andrews 15-9-1; Dumas 25-14
Class 3A
Bushland sweeps Littlefield, 2-0
Game 1: Bushland 10, Littlefield 0
Game 2: Bushland 14, Littlefield 1
Records: Bushland 29-8; Littlefield 14-9.
River Road sweeps Presidio, 2-0
Game 1: River Road 7, Presidio 3
Game 2: River Road 5, Presidio 4
Records: River Road 24-10-1; Presidio 8-7.
Class 2A
Clarendon 9, Forsan 2, one game
Records: Clarendon 16-3; Forsan 15-9.
Colorado City 15, Sanford-Fritch 0, one game
Records: Colorado City 19-5; Sanford-Fritch 17-3.
Floydada sweeps Sunray, 2-0
Game 1: Floydada 4, Sunray 3
Game 2: Floydada 9, Sunray 5
Records: Floydada 30-3-1; Sunray 20-7.