It was “just” a softball game, played on a patch of ground, city folks might say was “out in the country,” but it was seven innings of pure athletic drama.

Those in the leading roles stepped in to halt a threat that would have erased this entire paragraph, broke out of a slump to slam two crucial doubles, extend an on-base streak absolutely critical to the victory, and come through under pressure most likely never felt before, as the last man up, to send everyone home after the best of finishes: the last-chance rally that turns defeat into destiny’s decision.

Any Llano triumph over Wimberley is a thrill, but when it is accomplished after three of the first four Texan batters score, it creates that much more of a crescendo.

“It was a super win,” head coach Brian Cottle said, March 25, “and it would have been real easy to give up against such a good team, but the girls battled through it and battled back all night.”

They had little choice. The Lady Texans, who lost the district championship to the Lady Jackets by one game a year ago, took advantage of a first-pitch triple by Kelsey Allmand and three singles to lead, 3-0, after a half inning.

Llano would strand runners (it could not afford to) at second and third in the second frame, but got the boost it needed while on defense in the third.

Another triple, with the wind blowing toward the fences, this one by Wimberley’s Keely Simmons, was followed by two walks. At this juncture, with no outs, Cottle took the ball from Katie Yeager and gave it to first baseman Cierra Thompson. The two traded places.

“I really didn’t have too many options,” Thompson told reporters after the game, “because I knew I had to throw strikes and hope to catch them off guard.” Oh, did she ever.

It was nine official strikes thrown and Cain, Knerr and Meadows found out what their classmates on the basketball team already knew: boy, is this some athlete. Cierra, who scored 36 points on the Wimberley hardwood, Jan. 22, hurled the inning of her softball life, and the Jackets still had life in this epic encounter.

“Some games in the past we got down,” Thompson declared, “and simply quit, but this team is different; we wanted to win immensely, and we weren’t giving up no matter what.”

The Jackets got a run without a hit in the third inning, and Leslie Weihs opened the fourth with a walk and stolen base. She has been on base seven times in seven plate appearances in the first two district games.

Fellow senior Emily Schendel, who has not been as consistent at the plate as she’d like to be, slammed a double to right centerfield and Weihs came home easily. Llano had crawled to within one and was down, 3-2.

“It’s been a roller-coaster year for me batting,” Schendel admitted, “but coach Cottle told me to back off the plate and guess what? What he said was right and I started hitting.”

Thompson was just about as effective in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings as she was in the third. She fanned four more Texans and allowed one hit. The Wimberley lead remained one.

Schendel took care of that deficit with another double in the Jackets’ sixth, and again chased in the ever-present base runner, Weihs. Llano, which had trailed since moments after Brittany Williams sang the National Anthem, had rallied to tie matters at 3-3. Good theater was about to be followed by a Hollywood ending.

“There was no negative talk the whole time we were behind,” Yeager disclosed. “We have confidence in each other,” and Schendel added, “The energy we felt was amazing compared to previous games.”

The Texans finally regained the energy they had six innings before and went in front, 4-3, in the seventh and last act. Thompson still stole the show as she struck out Liz Meadows and Matty Clark with the bases loaded. Cierra’s magnificent night in the circle was over; she had recorded nine strikeouts in five innings of relief.

The Jackets were down to their final swings; three outs were given to them to cap a sensational comeback or post a moral victory, something almost as rewarding as getting jello when promised a brownie a la mode.

Chelsea Montgomery opened the seventh with a single. A ground out sent her to second, and Yeager was at the plate. The music played a bit louder in this thriller when Katie hit a hard ground ball off the pitcher's foot. It went right to third baseman Lindsey Leinneweber, playing between third and home.

“I knew I couldn’t be the second out,” Yeager acknowledged, “and I know the Yeagers aren’t known for their speed, but I had to find a way to beat the throw to first ...” and she did, by the margin of a whisker on her dad’s face.

The Jackets then got a break. With runners at first and third, Wimberley catcher Krista Cain’s toss back to pitcher Morgan Anderson went over her head, and Montgomery scored to tie the game.

Sophomore second baseman Kelsie Simpson was at the plate, with players and fans cheering and yelling on both sides of the diamond. One side’s chorus continued as she crushed an Anderson delivery high into the night; it was a towering blast to left center you not only knew would not be caught, you simply wished it would fly forever, because its soaring journey to the sky was such a magestic image.

One of the greatest doubles in Orange and Black regular-season history easily drove in Yeager. Llano had its first and only lead of the night, and, oh, yes, the win, 5-4.

“Coach Cottle told me he didn’t want to take the bat out of my hand and make me bunt, but I COULD NOT strike out,” Simpson said, probably with a bit less nervousness than she felt after hearing those words. “I knew it was left up to me, and after the hit, I just wanted to scream!” It would have been well-deserved.

Not-so-tall-Texans: With the resounding baseball win on March 25, the Jackets captured their third consecutive, athletic doubleheader victory over Wimberley. Two occurred in basketball.

The Llano softball team turned back the Texans in two thrillers in 2007: 3-2 in extra innings and 6-5 to decide the 25-3A title, and the Ladies have now won nine district games in a row.

“We talk about this a lot,” Cottle said in summation. “We have to take on the personality of the ‘07 team, and that was they fought and fought and fought. It was a squad which pulled out victories, and that’s what we had to do tonight, and that’s what we did.”