Defense and pitching dominated the Class 3A region semifinal best-of-three softball series between Whitesboro and Queen City last week.
With runs and hits difficult to come by, errors and opportunities came into play. And the Lady Bearcats seized the moment as they swept the Lady Bulldogs in a series that took place Thursday and Friday at Chisum High School in Paris.
Whitesboro (30-7) met Rains in a best-of-three region final series. The series opener took place Tuesday at Wylie High School with the second game taking place Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Lovejoy High School, and a third game will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lovejoy Results were not available as off press time..
GAME TWO
WHITESBORO 3, QUEEN CITY 2
Avery Howerton struck out nine batters and hit a two-run homerun as the Lady Bearcats edged the Lady Bulldogs, 3-2, Friday night. Howerton allowed two runs on one hit.
Whitesboro struck first in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back. Olivia Hildebrand, Maci Graves and Tylar Olsen hit three consecutive singles, respectively, before
Hildebrand scored on a wild pitch to put her team up, 1-0.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the fifth. Keely Hartless led off with a single and Howerton hit a two-run homerun three batters later to increase the Lady Bearcats lead to 3-0.
Queen City got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth with a two-run single from Laurel Moore but could get no closer. Howerton retired the last five batters she faced, including a three-up, three-down top of the seventh.
Hildebrand (2-3) led Whitesboro at the plate. Graves (1-3), Hartless (1-2), Howerton (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Olsen (1-2, SAC) and Bradi Gallaway (1-3) also contributed.
GAME ONE
WHITESBORO 3, QUEEN CITY 0
The Lady Bearcats came out on top, 3-0, last Thursday in a game that was ultimately a pitcher’s duel between Howerton and Queen City’s Trinity Oden. Howerton struck out 10 batters and gave up just two hits, while Oden surrendered three runs on three hits and struck out five.
Whitesboro took advantage of a pair of miscues to score a run in the top of the third. Gallaway reached base on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
The Lady Bearcats added two more runs in the top of the fourth. Mel Baldwin hit a leadoff double, Graves reached base on a fielder’s choice and Olsen sent them both home with a two-run triple.
The only scoring threat Queen City had was in the bottom of the second. The Lady Bulldogs had runners on second and third base with no outs before Howerton struck out the next three batters to end the threat.
Baldwin (1-3, 2B), Olsen (1-3, 3B, 2 RBI) and Reagan Downs had the only hits for Whitesboro. Moore (2-3) had Queen City’s only hits in the contest.