HS playoff predictions?

[DonnieS]

Who were the winners of the state tournament ?

[anonlooker]

From the Austin Statesman:

Class 4A final

Santa Fe 10, Forney 3: Sophomore first baseman Ciara Sunseri broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run double in the fifth inning, helping Santa Fe to the Class 4A state championship at McCombs Field.

Santa Fe loaded the bases on consecutive one-out singles by Rachel Tassin, Lindsay Campbell and Jordan Garza. Sunseri's double to the gap in left-center scored all three and led to a seven-run inning.

That proved enough offensive support for Micaela Bouvier, the winning pitcher Saturday and also against Dripping Springs in the semifinals on Friday. She pitched a complete game for the second straight day, yielding seven hits to the Jackrabbits.

Santa Fe (37-6) had no runs and only one hit through three innings, but two sparkling defensive plays in the fourth appeared to ignite the Indians. One Forney base runner was thrown out on a close play at third, and a line drive caught by left fielder Jordan Garza became a double play when she fired to second to nail Krista Williams, who had strayed too far off the base.

Sunseri, who was voted the game's MVP, finished with three hits and scored three runs. Catcher Ellen Danesi had four RBIs for Santa Fe.

Class 3A final

Celina 5, West 1: One day after pitching 11 innings in a semifinal victory, Katelyn Drummond showed no fatigue in leading Celina to the Class 3A state championship.

While her teammates struck for 13 hits, Drummond (30-6) limited West to six singles. Celina third baseman Shelby Carter was named the game's MVP after collecting three hits, scoring three runs and driving in a fourth.

Celina (36-6) won state just two years after losing to Needville in the Class 3A title game.

Drummond was superb in her two games this weekend at McCombs Field, allowing only four runs — three earned — in 18 innings.

West (32-9) scored on a single by left fielder Heather Perry in the second inning.

— Rick Cantu

Class 2A final

Danbury 9, Nacogdoches Central Heights 1: Brittany Bailey had three hits, including a triple, and sophomore pitcher Kaylee Garner struck out 15 in six innings as Danbury rolled to the Class 2A state championship.

Garner (27-3) allowed only one hit and finished one strikeout short of tying the state tournament record. She was named the title-game MVP.

"I knew Kaylee had a chance at a record, but it was about team, and we agreed to let senior Kristin Yeagar pitch the last inning," Danbury coach Melissa Hansen said.

Garner walked the first batter of the game before allowed an RBI single to Savannah Martin. Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, Danbury (39-3) scored four runs in the second and four in the fifth.

Class A final

Shiner 1, Grapeland 0: On Saturday, Ashley Shimek concluded a senior season that she'll remember forever as she threw a shutout against Grapeland in the title game.

Shiner (32-4) added a fourth state championship to the ones the Comanches won in 2001, 2002 and 2008.

Shimek (24-0) allowed two hits, struck out five, walked one and hit one batter. She allowed only one runner to reach third base.

"I was here as a freshman (in 2008), but this was different," said Shimek, who was named the MVP of the title game. "The fans seemed loud, everything was so exciting, it was just awesome; I will never forget this moment."

— Butch Hart

UIL state softball champions

Class 5A: San Antonio O'Connor (34-4) vs. The Woodlands (43-1), late

Class 4A: Santa Fe (37-6), def. Forney 10-3

Class 3A: Celina (36-6), def. West 5-1

Class 2A: Danbury (39-3), def. Nacogdoches Central Heights 9-1

Class A: Shiner (32-4), def. Grapeland 1-0

And this blog on 5-A on Woodlands vs O'Connor

AUSTIN — Either The Woodlands or Northside O’Connor will win its first state softball championship tonight.

The Lady Highlanders (43-1) beat Pearland 6-0 Friday night, after the Lady Panthers’ (34-4) came back to top Plano 3-2. O’Connor is making its fourth appearance at the UIL Class 5A State Softball Tournament while The Woodlands is making its first trip here.

Here are the lineups:

The Woodlands

1. Kelsey Jolly CF
2. Alyssa Jorgensen 2B
3. Faith Bohack SS
4. Brooke Riemann 3B
5. Paige McDuffee DP
6. Jessica Snyder 1B
7. Taylor Vick RF
8. Taylor O’Dell LF
9. Kayla Prater C
10. Caitlin Bartsch P/Flex

O’Connor
1. Courtney Tietze LF
2. Hannah Fields RF
3. Taylor Vidrine CF
4. Kenedy Urbany P
5. Katy Vandewater SS
6. Brittany Stone 3B
7. Maegan Ramirez 1B
8. Brittany Haby C
9. Lesly Martinez DP
10. Ashley Lopez 2B/Flex

This is the same lineup Lady Highlanders coach Richard Jorgensen trotted out for Friday’s semifinal game, except O’Dell and Prater have swapped spots at the bottom of the order. O’Dell went 1 for 3 with an RBI double Friday while Prater went 0 for 3.

And McDuffee (36-1) will be in the circle despite being listed as the designated player. After the win over Pearland, Jorgensen admitted his lineup card was a bit of gamesmanship.

“We were trying to throw a wrench in there a little bit and tell them that Paige wasn’t going to pitch, but I think they knew Paige was going to pitch,” Jorgensen said.

The teams have begun to warm up on the field, so we’re about 20 minutes away from the first pitch.

Update: The Woodlands’ players are being introduced along the first baseline. Minutes until the first pitch.

Update: The Woodlands scored twice with the help of four illegal pitches called on O’Connor’s Kenedy Urbany in the top of the first. Kelsey Jolly led off with a walk, but was caught stealing. Alyssa Jorgensen then walked, advanced to second on an illegal pitch and moved up again on another illegal pitch. Brooke Riemann hit a bouncer down the third baseline, and Jorgensen scored on Brittany Stone’s error. After a single by McDuffee, Riemann and courtesy runner Amy Cimera advanced on a passed ball. Riemann scored on an illegal pitch with Cimera moving up to third, but Jessica Snyder flied out to deep left field.

Update: McDuffee sandwiched a pair of ground balls back to the circle around a strikeout to retire the Lady Panthers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first.

Update: The Woodlands didn’t threaten in the second, and neither did O’Connor. McDuffee got three groundball outs, and now has five in two innings with one strikeout. Friday night, she struck out 11 with six groundball outs and three fly outs. The other out was a failed stolen base attempt by Pearland.

Update: O’Connor’s Maegan Ramirez led off the bottom of the third with a single to center, then advanced to third on a wild pitch when no Lady Highlander covered third base after McDuffee’s offering sailed to the backstop. After a groundout and strikeout, Courtney Tietze bounced an RBI single through the middle. Hannah Fields grounded out to end the inning.

Update: Jessica Snyder’s tear continues. The first baseman increased the Lady Highlanders’ lead to 3-1 with an absolute bomb of a home run to left-center field. The ball left the yard, over the 212-foot marker, faster than you can say “home run.” Snyder had three RBI Friday, on the two hardest hit balls of the night, the first a single past the third baseman and the second a triple over the center fielder.

The Woodlands is piling on. Jorgensen hit a run-scoring single and Kelsey Jolly scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1. After an error on catcher Brittany Haby, who couldn’t catch Bohack’s foul pop up, the junior shortstop made her pay. She rocketed a two-run blast to the same spot Snyder hit hers, increasing the lead to 7-1.

Update: O’Connor’s Ramirez hit her second single of the game leading off the bottom of the fifth, and courtesy runner Brenda Ramirez advanced to third on a passed ball and wild pitch. With two outs, Tietze’s single to short scored Brenda Ramirez. Hannah Fields then dropped a bunt single, but McDuffee got Taylor Vidrine to fly out to right. The Lady Highlanders are six outs away from the first state title in program history.

Update: The Woodlands offense has gone down 1-2-3 in each of the last two innings. The Lady Highlanders can smell it now.

Update: The Woodlands defense committed four uncharacteristic errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to allow the Lady Panthers to get back into the game. McDuffee struck out two of the first four batters, but an error by Bohack and a single by Tietze put runners on first and second. With two down, another error by Bohack loaded the bases.

Urbany hit a run-scoring single to left, and the runners moved up when Snyder couldn't corral the relay throw at first, scoring Tietze and cutting the gap to 7-4. An error by Riemann at third then allowed another run to come in, and Brittany Stone singled to left to load the bases again.

But McDuffee struck out Maegan Ramirez swinging, sending the Lady Highlanders and their fans into a wild celebration.

The Woodlands 7, Northside O’Connor 5

The Woodlands 200 500 0 — 7 7 4

O’Connor 001 010 3 — 5 9 2

Records — The Woodlands: 44-1. O’Connor: 34-5.

WP: Paige McDuffee (37-1; 7 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 6 K, BB)

LP: Kenedy Urbany (21-1; 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 4 BB, HB)

Leaders — The Woodlands: Faith Bohack 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, SB; Alyssa Jorgensen 1-3, RBI, 2 R, BB; Jessica Snyder 1-4, HR; Brooke Riemann 1-4, R; Olivia Boutch 0-1, R, 2 BB; Kelsey Jolly 0-2, R, BB, HBP, CS; McDuffee 2-4; Taylor Vick SB. O’Connor: Courtney Tietze 3-4, 2 RBI, R; Urbany 1-4, RBI; Maegan Ramirez 2-4, R, 3 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER; Brenda Ramirez R; Maegan Taylor R; Brittany Stone 2-4; Hannah Fields 1-4; Taylor Vidrine 0-3, BB.