The Granger Lions’ varsity baseball and softball teams saw their playoff runs come to an end over the weekend. The baseball team dropped a three-game series to the Harper Longhorns, while the Lady Lions softball team fell in two games to the Burton Panthers.
Baseball: Lions fall in high-scoring series
The Lions fought hard in their area-round matchup with Harper, falling 7–6 in eight innings in Game 1. Granger took a 6–3 lead after scoring three runs in the top of the eighth, but the Longhorns rallied with four runs in the bottom half to walk it off.
Tre Castillo led the way, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. He also pitched six innings, allowing just one run while striking out six.
Granger bounced back in Game 2 with a 7–6 win. After falling behind 4–0 early, the Lions stormed back to take a 7–5 lead heading into the final frame.
Harper's comeback attempt ended with a groundout. Ryder Bice paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Game 3 turned into an offensive slugfest, with Harper defeating Granger 26–16. The two teams combined for 29 hits. Allen Martinez led the Lions with four RBIs.
Granger finished the season with an 11–12 overall record and earned its third postseason appearance in the past four years.
Softball: Lady Lions eliminated by Burton
The Lady Lions struggled against Burton, dropping the series in two games. In Game 1, Granger fell 11–3 as starting pitcher Arianna Herrera walked seven batters in a complete-game effort. Abi Couch led the offense with two RBIs.
Granger kept Game 2 close, but was shut out 3–0. Herrera bounced back in the circle, pitching six innings and allowing just three runs while striking out 10. However, the Lady Lions couldn’t find offense, managing only three hits in 23 at-bats.
Granger closed the season with a 10-11-1 record. The team finished fourth in district and secured a bi-district championship with a first-round win over Goldthwaite.
