After winning the opening game of the Class 3A-Division II best-of-three Region III final, 4-0, the Thrall softball team needed to win one more game to advance to the state semifinal for the first time in program history.
Kirbyville had other ideas. The Lady Cats used a seven-run fifth inning to rally for a 7-5 win in Game Two before scoring five runs in the fifth inning in Game Three, which they would go on to win, 8-6, in eight innings Saturday at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
Thrall finished the season 30-12. The Tigerettes advanced to the region final round for the first time in program history.
Kirbyville (31-9-1) faces Santa Gertrudis in a best-of-three state semifinal series at Seguin High School in Seguin. Game One is Thursday with Games Two and Three (if necessary)
on Saturday.
GAME TWO KIRBYVILLE 7, THRALL 5
The Lady Cats scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to rally from a 3-0 deficit before tying the series with a 7-5 victory Saturday afternoon. Kirbyville used six hits to score its runs.
Thrall didn’t go away quietly, though. Adelynn Bishop hit an RBI double and scored on an error in the top of the sixth to pull the Tigerettes within two, 7-5.
Thrall struck initially in the top of the first. Selena Quintanilla led off with a triple and scored on a wild pitch.
Ryleigh Jensen hit a solo home run in the top of the second to increase the Tigerettes’ lead to 2-0. Reese Madsen followed with a solo shot of her own to put Thrall ahead 3-0 after three innings of play.
The score remained the same until the Lady Cats’ big fifth inning. Addison Dickens (2-4) led Thrall at the plate.
Jensen and Madsen were both 1-for-1 with a home run, an RBI and three walks. Bishop (1-4, 2B, RBI), Quintanilla (1-3, BB, 3B, RBI) and Piper Hernandez (1-4) also contributed.
GAME THREE KIRBYVILLE 8, THRALL 6 (8)
Trailing 5-1, Kirbyville scored five runs in the top of the fifth before scoring twice in the top of the eighth to rally for an 8-6 win against Thrall Saturday evening. The Lady Cats used three hits, three walks and an error to score their fifth inning runs; and a hit, two walks and an error for their eighth inning scores.
Kirbyville scored on an error in the top of the first before Quintanilla led off with a triple and scored on a Hernandez single to tie the game at 1 after one inning. The Tigerettes used another RBI single from Hernandez and a two-run home run from Jensen to take a 4-1 lead after three.
Bishop hit an RBI double in the fourth to give Thrall its biggest lead of the contest, 5-1. Then Kirbyville mounted its comeback in the top of the fifth before Jensen scored the equalizer on a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame.
Hernandez (3-4, 2 RBI) led the Tigerettes at the plate, while Quintanilla (2-4, BB, 2 3B) also had multiple hits. Bishop (1-4, 2B, RBI) and Jensen (1-1, 2 BB, HBP, HR, RBI) also contributed.
This contest was the final high school softball game for three seniors – Riley Luton, Miley Pokorny and Lilly Slough.
