Staff Report
It was a busy Thursday night for the three Hays CISD baseball and softball teams participating in the playoffs. Two of them are a win away from advancing to the next round.
Hays softball
Coming through in the clutch helped the Hays Lady Rebel softball team claim an 8-4 victory over the Vista Ridge Lady Raiders at Lake Travis High School.
Hays holds a 1-0 lead in the best of three series. Game two will be Friday at Lake Travis High School, with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
Persevering beyond pressure was theme, as the Lady Rebels scored all eight runs with no less than two outs.
Sophomore Karina Rocha kick-started the offense by delivering a two-run home run to give Hays a 2-0 lead in the second.
"I saw it coming into my zone, and I just swung the bat," Rocha said. "I had the power to load it, and it went over."
The Lady Rebels struck again in the third. After senior Addie Vayas and freshman Alyssa Martinez reached base with two outs, junior Haliegh Madden delivered an RBI double, scoring Vayas to give Hays a 3-0 lead; it increased to 4-0 after Martinez scored on a passed ball.
Vista Ridge countered with their own run in the third; Hays rallied right back in the next half inning.
Junior Lizzie Bowne reached first on an error; she was moved to second via a single from junior Angelica Arroyo. Senior Maddy Shannon singled, loading the bases for Vayas, who delivered a two-run RBI single down the right field line, scoring Bowne and Arroyo. An RBI single from Martinez scored Shannon, giving Hays a 7-1 lead. Hays added one more run in the fifth, as Bowne delivered an RBI triple. scoring senior Sarah Leal to give Hays an 8-1 lead.
Hays head coach Aaron Fuller lauded the production from his entire lineup. He said getting to Lady Raider pitcher Jorden Russell was critical to the win.
Rocha said understanding the situation helped the team persevere with two outs.
"We know how to work under pressure," Rocha said. "When it's time to execute, it's time to execute."
In the circle, Leal kept the Vista Ridge offense in check. She allowed eight hits on the evening, while striking out three in the complete game effort.
However, the Lady Raiders came through with three runs in the fifth, highlighted by a three-run home run from Maddie Collins.
Despite the runs allowed, Fuller said Leal pitched "well against a very good lineup," to lead Hays to the win.
"Sarah was hitting her spots and she was throwing well," Fuller said. "Vista Ridge is a team you don't want to make mistakes [against]. You don't want to give them second chances. They will take advantage."
Lehman softball
Missed opportunities doomed the Lehman Lady Lobo softball team in a 7-3 loss to the Dripping Springs Lady Tigers at the Lobo Softball Field.
Lehman trails in the series 1-0, and will play Dripping Springs again on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Dripping Springs. If necessary, a third game will be played following the conclusion of game two.
The Lady Tigers got to Lehman senior pitcher Sam Villegas in the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead. Dripping Springs added a run in the fourth, then three runs in the fifth to take a 6-0 advantage. One more run was added in the sixth.
On offense, the Lady Lobos scattered eight hits on Dripping Springs pitcher Amber Womack. However, Lehman couldn't deliver hits in the clutch, as Lehman left the bases loaded in the first, third and fourth innings.
The Lady Lobos brought home two runs in the sixth and a run in the seventh, but couldn't make up the deficit.
Hays baseball
Dominant pitching and overwhelming offense guided the Rebel baseball team to a 8-0 win over the San Antonio Burbank Bulldogs Thursday in San Antonio.
Hays takes a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three series, with game two scheduled for Friday, 7 p.m. at Hays. If necessary, game three will be played Saturday at 1 p.m.
Guiding the Rebel win was senior pitcher Tyler Woodmansee, who pitched a no-hitter against Burbank. Woodmansee finished the night with eight strikeouts in his seven innings of work.
Hays' offense got the ball rolling in the first inning. Hays batted around the lineup in the first inning, scoring four runs to take a 4-0 lead. The Rebels then added a run in the third, followed by three runs in the fourth to cap off their big night.
For full coverage of all three series, be sure to pick up a copy of next week's edition of the Hays Free Press.
