With one out and bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hays’ Maxine Valdez stepped up to the plate with a chance to win the playoff series against the Brennan Bears in game two.
Hays appeared to be in good hands at the time. Just one run separated the team from advancing to the regional quarterfinals of the 2017 6A softball playoffs. But it wasn’t meant to be as the Rebels, who struggled to generate offense in key situations Saturday, saw its 2017 campaign conclude in heartbreaking fashion.
Valdez was perhaps the best bet to accomplish the feat, too, considering her performance in the series at that point. She pitched a no-hitter in Friday night’s 4-0 victory. The next afternoon, she held Brennan to three runs in seven innings in her Saturday afternoon start, along with a timely single to centerfield that drove in two runs in the fifth inning.
Instead, with the crowd hanging on every pitch, she pinged a soft fly ball to centerfield for the second out. Hays never scored again, dropping the second game, 4-3, and forcing a do-or-die third game in the series.
Brennan took advantage of its fortuitous break with a quick rally in the eighth inning. Bears third baseman Kayla Sanchez connected on a pitch high in the zone from Valdez for a one-run home run to deep centerfield – one of the few mistakes Valdez made all series. And it proved to be costly.
Hays responded with three quick outs to end the game, unable to match Sanchez and the Bears’ late scoring punch. Besides Valdez, Hays’ only source of offense in the second game came from a one-run home run from Annalise Rodriguez in the third inning that drifted towards left field.
The roles switched in the third and decisive game of the series. This time around, it was the Rebels playing a game of catch-up and Brennan trying to maintain a lead to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
Brennan took a 1-0 lead early in the contest before the Rebels equalized with an RBI triple from Rodriguez.
Brennan manufactured a run in the fifth frame to take a 2-1 lead. The Bears then caught a break in the sixth inning via a controversial call made by umpires who deemed the Rebels, which had runners at first and third base with two outs at the time, advanced a runner illegally, causing officials to call the final out.
Brennan took advantage of the momentum by scoring an extra run in the sixth inning, giving them a 3-1 cushion heading to the final inning.
Hays generated another bases-loaded situation when Kaylin Davis entered the batting box. The margin of error was razor-thin, with two outs in the seventh inning.
Unlike Hays, Brennan recorded the final out, completing the series victory and moving on to face state-ranked Johnson in the regional quarterfinals.
Hays’ 2017 season ended with a 16-10 overall record and a 7-1 mark in district.
Correction: This article originally identified the Rebel baserunner in the middle photo as Kari Louk. The player is Kaylin Davis. We apologize for the error.
