American and Texas flags blew in the outfield and Texas High softball fans celebrated as the Lady Tigers paraded 12 batters to the plate in the first inning Tuesday.
The host Tigers (17-3, 4-0) scored seven runs in that inning and remained unbeaten in District 16-5A play with a 7-2 win over Sulphur Springs (16-6, 3-2) at the THS softball complex.
"Tonight seems to be a pattern and I'm not complaining," THS coach Robbie Hatfield said. "I told the girls at the start that we've got to go seven innings. The thing is they only scored one run in the first and one more. Still, we got ourselves in a couple of predicaments that could have ended up bad for us.
"Fortunately we were able to get a strikeout and not let those situations hurt us. I stuck with Mabry (Smith) starting pitcher tonight because she's probably one of our best hitters. Sulphur Springs is a good team, and I think they got down a little bit after our big start."
The Lady Cats didn't pack up and go home after the parade. Starting pitcher Bailey Haggerty blanked Texas High the rest of the say on five hits.
That didn't take away the five hits the Tigers had in the first inning when Bailey Groom singled to center on the first pitch from Haggerty, who walked Ashley Wyrick on her next four offerings.
Both runners moved up on Braley Turner's grounder to first. Groom scored, and Smith was safe on a fielder's choice to make it 1-0.
Courtnee Cheek followed with a run-scoring single to right, and Kaitlyn Cross walked to load the bases.. Raegan Erskine then singled off Haggerty's glove into shallow left to plate two more runs. One out later ryann Williams legged out an infield hit to reload the bases, which were promptly cleared by Groom's double to left-center.
The Tigers had runners reach third in the fifth and sixth innings, but both were stranded.
Groom finished with three hits, with Smith and Cheek adding two singles each. Smith scattered seven hits and struck out seven. She did struggle with her control, walking six and hitting a batter.
Sulphur Springs scored first in the game when Hannah Crowson reached on a bunt hit, stole second and scored on Kristen Allen's single to left.
The Lady Cats' final run scored in the sixth after two walks and a single by Jaye Doughtie loaded the bases. Ninth-place hitter Macee Hollins walked on four pitches for force home a run.
The visitors stranded 11 runners, six in the final two innings.
THS plays at Mount Pleasant on Friday.
Sulphur Springs 100 001 0 - 2 7 2
Texas High 700 000 X - 7 10 1
Bailey Haggerty and Macee Hollins; Mabry Smith and Kylee Spriggs. WP-Smith; LP-Haggerty.