AUSTIN-The seventh-inning heroics weren't enough for Hughes Springs in the 3A state softball final Thursday.
The Lady Mustangs fell behind 4-0 early and were down six entering their final at-bat, when HS got a pair of runs on four hits before falling to Santa Gertrudis Academy, 8-3, in the UIL 3A championship game at Red and Charline McCombs Field.
State final MVP Saidi Castillo hurled a complete game after throwing a perfect game in the semifinals for the Lions (40-1). Castillo allowed three earned runs on nine hits, struck out five and hit a pair, tossing 112 pitches in seven innings, ending her senior year with a 22-0 record.
"We didn't make the adjustments as early as we needed to," Hughes Springs head coach Tisha Thompson said. "We made them late, and if we would've had two more innings we might've come back and got them.
"Castillo did what we knew she was going to do; we just didn't make the adjustments at the plate we needed to in our approach."
Zoe Lanier shouldered the loss for the Mustangs, who finished their season at 30-4. Lanier gave up four unearned runs in 1-3 innings, giving up only one hit and walking a pair.
Marisol Kennedy threw 94 pitches in 5 2-3 innings of relief after earning the extra-inning semifinal win Wednesday. Kennedy allowed seven hits, struck out two, walked two and was charged with four runs.
Charlie Reeves, one of six seniors for Hughes Springs and the No. 9 batter in the lineup, dropped a leadoff single into right in the seventh inning. Senior Peyton Blythe doubled to left-center, and Reeves was injured rounding third. Senior Silver Montgomery came in as a pinch-runner.
Senior Kennedi Northam beat out an infield RBI single, and Abbye McKinney also drove in a run on a 2-out, infield hit for the final tally.
Lanier walked the Lion leadoff batter in the bottom of the first, and a 1-out error allowed Breana Carr to reach second. Another walk loaded the bases, and a fielding error on Castillo's fielder's choice scored Carr.
Freshman designated player Carissa De Los Santos smashed a 3-run double into the right-center field alley to stake Santa Gertrudis to a 4-0 lead and prompting a pitching change.
"We just didn't have a good start," Thompson said. "We knew Zoe nor Marisol were strikeout pitchers, and that we had to play solid defense behind them. You don't commit three or four errors and expect to win a big game.
"It was a rough start, not what we expected and not what we wanted."
Northam laced a single into left in the first for Hughes Springs, but Castillo fanned the next two to strand the Mustang senior at first.
In the third, Reeves was hit by a pitch on a full count, and Blythe bunted for a hit. A pair of well struck balls went for flyouts, first to left then right, to end the threat.
Jackie De Los Santos was walked to start the third inning, was bunted to second and moved up on a wild pitch. Carissa De Los Santos's single to center scored her senior sister, giving the Lions a 5-0 lead.
Shelbie Fickling beat out an infield single to start the fourth for Hughes Springs. She was sacrificed over, and Pearl Perry, who belted a solo home run Wednesday in the semifinal game, 1-hopped the wall in left-center for a stand-up, RBI double.
Carr slapped a hustle double into right-center for SGA to start the fourth, and Alyssa Gonzalez doubled deep to left to regain a 5-run cushion. Jackie De Los Santos grounded a single into right to extend the inning, and another pitch to the backstop scored Gonzalez to make it 7-1.
Castillo singled to left for another Lion run. Her perfect game against Brock in the semifinals was the fifth in UIL state softball tournament history and first in Class 3A at the state tournament.
Northam was 3 for 4, Blythe 2 for 4 and Perry 1 for 3 with a double to lead the Mustangs' 9-hit attack. The other seniors for HS were Haylee Wilson and Kensley Echols.
Carr was 2 for 3 with a double for the Lions, and Carissa De Los Santos was 2 for 4 with a double and four RBI.
#
Hughes Springs=000=100=2=-=3=9=3
Santa Gertrudis Academy=401=300=x=-=8=8=1
Zoe Lanier, Marisol Kennedy (1) and Kennedi Northam. Saidi Castillo and Jackie De Los Santos. WP-Castillo (22-0). LP-Lanier (15-3).