AUSTIN — The Dripping Springs High School softball team (31-9-1 overall) is in serious contention to play for a state championship and is one of four teams remaining in Conference 6A D2 after winning two of three games — 4-3, 1-6 and 8-1 — over Cedar Ridge High School to advance to the State semifinal.
In game one of the 6A D2 Region IV Final best-of-three game series Thursday, May 15 against Cedar Ridge, the Lady Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Three consecutive innings were scoreless until the Raiders scored two runs in the fifth inning to take the lead.
Dripping Springs kept the Raiders scoreless in the top of the sixth and scored a run in the home half to tie the game 2-2. Both teams were scoreless in the seventh inning to force extra innings. The Raiders scored a run to again take the lead, but Dripping Springs rallied for two runs with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 4-3 win.
Sophomore catcher Lorelei Gamble, with 22 home runs, was walked all four times at bat. She has been walked 13 times since her last home run May 2 and has 57 walks in 150 plate appearances this season.
Elianna Amato was two for three, Tatum Green was two for four and Sadie Bradford had a hit and an RBI. Jai-Lynn Flores was credited with two RBIs. Bradford threw 121 pitches in eight innings, gave up a walk and struck out two batters. The Raiders got three runs off of 12 hits and stranded 10 on base.
Dripping Springs lost game two to the Raiders Friday night 6-1. Each team had one error in the game. Green — 10-4, 3.04 ERA — the Lady Tigers starting pitcher, did well in her six innings in the circle by only giving up one walk, seven hits and six runs with only three of those earned runs.
It was the Lady Tigers’ mental errors that don’t show up in the stats, but did show up on the scoreboard. The game was scoreless until the Raiders scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Lady Tigers had five hits in the game. Green was two for three at the plate and scored the team’s only run in the top of the sixth inning thanks to an RBI by Gamble. Taylor Crain and Lillian Wearden each had a hit.
“Don’t ever assume anything whether you’re on the bases or on defense,” head coach Wade Womack told his team after the loss. “When you assume is when bad things happen and that’s what happened today.”
Dripping Springs was the visiting team on Saturday in the deciding game three, but they played as if they were on their home field. The Lady Tigers won 8-1 and had one error in the game. The mental errors, if there were any didn’t show up as runs for Cedar Ridge on the scoreboard. The Raiders only run was scored in the first inning, after Dripping Springs scored in the top of the frame. The Lady Tigers, who didn’t have an extra base hit in game two, had 10 hits and three of those hits were for extra bases in the final game. Gamble would finally get a chance to hit the ball and was three for three with a triple and a double.
“I was so happy I got to swing the bat and I just took advantage of it,” Gamble said after the win.
Flores, who plays first base, hit a double for two RBIs and says it’s a little disappointing not being in the circle after an injury prevented her from pitching. “I’m along for the ride and having fun and I am the loudest one rooting for Sadie,” Flores said.
Crain was two for four. Lauren Byrnes, Emma Phillips, Bradford and Green each had a hit. Dripping Springs scored two runs in the second and fifth innings and put three more on the board in the top of the seventh. Bradford, a freshman (15-3, 2.83 ERA), threw 96 pitches, had three walks, three hits and gave up one earned run in seven innings in the circle: “It was just an amazing opportunity for all of us to come together and get this win after yesterday’s loss and we were hyped.”
The Lady Tigers will face Kingwood High School (32-4-1 overall)at Caldwell High School, with game one at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, game two at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, and, if necessary, game three at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 24.
