State-ranked Dripping Springs softball team (21-2) made a statement with a 5-0 victory over the Lockhart Lions Friday thanks to clutch hitting, as well as a stellar pitching performance by starting pitcher Logan Hulon.
“Anytime you get a win against Lockhart it’s a good win,” said Dripping Springs head coach Wade Womack. “They are a solid program. Year in and year out, they are in the playoffs.”
Hulon, a University of Houston pledge, earned the win with a dominant complete-game, no-hit performance, her third no-hitter in district, Womack said. Hulon struck out 14 Lion batters and surrendered just one walk.
Dripping Springs remains undefeated in District 25-5A (5-0) with the win over Lockhart, and is currently riding an 11-game winning streak.
“It was basically just, ‘go out and do my best and work for my team,’” Hulon said. “I know I have my team behind me and if they hit me, they hit me. But I know I have a great defense behind me and know that they can back me up.”
Between the third and sixth innings, Hulon retired 10-of-12 Lockhart hitters by strikeout, including a stretch of seven strikeouts in a row.
“She’s got great movement,” Womack said. “She has good velocity. She just works hard at her craft.”
Dripping Springs hitting came alive in the bottom of the third inning as the team scored four runs on five hits. Bailey Hudgeons got things going with a two-RBI double to deep left field that bounced off the glove of the Lockhart outfielder. Hudgeons then scored off a double down the left field line by Jayna Reid. Hulon kept the momentum going with a hard-hit single to center field that scored Reid from second base, increasing Dripping Springs’ lead to 4-0.
“We had a couple of infield hits where kids just hustled and that’s what we preach,” Womack said. “Put the ball in play, let’s run hard and good things are going to happen. It was good to see good contact against a solid pitcher.”
Hudgeons finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs after smashing a solo home-run over the left field wall in the fifth inning. Other clutch hitters for the Lady Tigers were Hulon, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and one RBI, and Camille Corona who was 3-for-4 with two singles and one double, while adding one run and one stolen base.
Dripping Springs remains undefeated in District 25-5A (5-0) with the win over Lockhart, and is currently riding an 11-game winning streak. Womack credits the Tigers’ good hitting and pitching, along with strong tournament play earlier in the season, as a factor for the team’s fantastic start.
Womack said the Tigers went 15-2 during tournament play, with the only losses coming against top-tier programs such as state-ranked Barbers Hill and Fort Bend Ridge Point.
“But I was really excited about that because we were hitting good pitching solidly, and playing good defense. We’ve been getting good pitching from Logan and Kyndall (Womack) all year long,” Womack said.
Dripping Springs returns home March 26 when the Lady Tigers host Austin Reagan at 6 p.m.
