MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas-It was arguably the biggest softball crowd to ever watch a game at Northeast Texas Community College.
Fourth-ranked Hughes Springs (30-2) used the long ball and a strong effort by sophomore Marisol Kennedy in the circle to beat Prairiland on Friday night, 7-3.
The Region II-3A quarterfinal playoff win advances the Lady Mustangs to next week's semifinals against Lone Oak or Pilot Point. Prairiland's season ends at 30-9.
Lawn chairs lined the entire softball complex, the stands were packed, and there were others who had to stand to see the game, which had the Mustangs hitting two home runs and three triples.
"The crowd was a huge factor in the game; when you get the crown involved, that perks you up more than anything," said Hughes Springs Coach Tisha Thompson. "When our girls decide to hit the ball, we're very capable of hitting with some power.
"We do small-ball when we need to, but we've got a lot of power in the lineup. I think Marisol was a little nervous the first few innings, and we didn't help her very much defensively. Hopefully we'll play a little bit better in the next game."
Haley Wilson's ninth home run of the season followed a Peyton Blythe triple in the first inning to give the Mustangs an early 2-0 lead.
It was a triple by Charlie Reeves that scored the decisive run that broke a 3-3 deadlock in the sixth inning. Shelbie Fickling scored that run, and she delivered a kill-shot in the top of the seventh with her fifth round-tripper of the season. Kennedy and Wilson both scored in front of Fickling after walking with two outs.
Kennedy struggled at the beginning of the game, yielding nine hits in the first five frames. Her teammates also committed four errors, but the Lady Patriots stranded nine in those first five innings.
Laney Raley reached on an infield error in the second, advancing to second on Kaitlyn Spray's single to left. Both runners moved up on a passed ball. Raley eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to right by losing pitcher Bri Calabria.
Prairiland's Lily Gilbert doubled to start the Patriots' third. She moved up on Madison Gray's single and scored onl Raley's sacrifice fly to center.
Elizabeth Preston tripled with one out in the fourth, and scored on Kayla Spray's triple. Spray was stranded after Gilbert hit a long fly to left.
Kennedy retired the final seven batters she faced. After striking out two in the first five innings, she fanned three in the last two.
Fickling had a single to go with her home run, and Kennedi Northam contributed a triple and single for the winners, who won the District 14-3A championship this season.
Hughes Springs 201 001 3 - 7 8 4
Prairiland 011 100 0 - 3 9 2
Marisol Kennedy and Kennedy Northam. Bri Calabria and Kayla Spray. WP-Kennedy. LP-Calabria. HR: HS- Haylee Wilson, 1st, 1 on; Shelbie Fickling, 7th, 2 on.