It simply wasn’t meant to be--no district- championship repeat for the Llano softball Jackets, who were decisively dethroned by Wimberley, 10-3, April 15, a night which was indeed taxing.
“It wasn’t pretty at all,” head coach Brian Cottle said, in echo of the fans’ sentiment. “I made a few defensive changes which may have backfired, so I take the blame for that.” Mistakes were costly, but the Lady Texans also out-hit and out-pitched the home team.
Llano took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Leslie Weihs slammed a double to right field. Cierra Thompson walked and Danielle Delz got the first of her three hits with an RBI single to right. Wimberley’s talented sophomore pitcher, Eryn Barroso,--are you sure she’s JUST a sophomore?--got the second out on a fine play on a bunt from catcher Keely Simmons to third baseman Krysta Cain, and Barroso stalled further damage with a strikeout. The Jackets had closed an inviting window by stranding a pair of base runners.
Thompson, who has had a sensational district campaign in the circle, set down the first six girls she faced, but her foes got two hits in the third inning and took advantage of two errors, a walk, a stolen base and a masterful bunt by Kelsie Allmand.
Eight went to the plate and two scored; Wimberley, which had lost in Llano, March 25, but had won at home, April 4, was in front for good.
“Our girls had a bad taste in their mouths after losing the district race to the Jackets last year,” Texans’ head coach Holly McGuire declared, “and we were pretty down being defeated on their diamond, 5-4, after leading, 3-0, in last month’s game, so we were motivated.”
That showed in the fourth and fifth innings when the contest was decided. A Maddy Clark RBI made it, 3-1, in the fourth, while Llano, in its turn in the frame, left runners at second and third.
In the reality-check, “oh, my goodness” fifth, eight girls in Red, White and Blue batted; four got hits and five crossed the plate. Morgan Anderson’s contribution was a two-run double to the fence in left. The 8-1 punishment could not be overcome.
The teams entered this contest with 6-1 records in 25-3A (and both won their finales on April 18). “Our girls knew they could beat Llano,” McGuire advised, “and they were very pumped up. The coaches had plenty to do with that. We have a lot of heart and hustle,” and the school’s first softball title since 2000.
Cottle didn’t have to be told that leaving girls on base was a backbreaker. “That made a tremendous difference; when you score two or three runs, which we didn’t, you change your opponent’s way of thinking. Maybe they’ll tighten up and do things differently.”
Senior outfielder Emily Schendel, sometimes the magical marble in the pouch, pointed out, “Last year was an awesome time when we won district (for the first time ever), and we can still continue that run in the playoffs.”
“I told the team,” Cottle disclosed, “that they have nothing to be ashamed of. There’s no reason for them to hang their heads. We came in second to a very good squad. We can’t worry about this any longer; we have the postseason ahead of us.”