State Softball Roundup: The Woodlands hangs on to win 5A softball title
AUSTIN — Faith Bohack’s home run capped a five-run fourth inning and The Woodlands survived four errors in the final inning to beat Northside O’Connor 7-5 and win the Class 5A softball championship Saturday night.
Jessica Snyder started the key inning for The Woodlands (44-1) with a homer, and Bohack’s drive put her team ahead 7-1.
Paige Duffee, the championship game MVP, scattered eight hits and struck out six in a complete-game win. She also had two hits.
O’Connor (34-5) scored three times in the seventh inning with help from four errors by The Woodlands before Duffee closed out the game.
Courtney Tietze had three hits for O’Connor, including two singles that drove home Maegen Ramirez each time.
The Woodlands took a 2-0 lead in the first on a hit, two walks and an error and five illegal pitches from O’Connor.
CLASS 4A
SANTA FE 10, FORNEY 3: Ciara Sunseri’s bases-loaded double highlighted a seven-run fifth inning that carried Santa Fe past Forney in the Class 4A championship game.
Santa Fe (37-6) sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth and had six consecutive hits. Sunseri, the most valuable player, had three hits and three RBIs and scored twice.
Micaela Bouvier, who had the go-ahead hit when Santa Fe was down to its final strike in the semifinals, pitched her second straight complete game. She scattered seven hits and struck out two.
Taylor LeFlore gave Forney a 1-0 lead with a home run in the first inning. After Santa Fe’s big inning, Forney (37-8) closed the gap with two runs in the sixth.
CLASS 3A
CELINA 5, WEST 1: Katelynn Drummond scattered six hits to lead Celina past West 5-1 for the Class 3A state softball championship on Saturday.
Celina (36-6-3) had 13 hits, including three hits by Shelby Carter and two hits each from Claudia Cantu, Lindsie Knowles and Paige Mongillo.
Carter and Cantu scored runs by sliding around the West catcher in tag plays at home plate. Leading 3-1, the LadyCats added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
Carter was named tournament MVP.
West finished with a 32-9 record and as Class 3A state runner for the second straight season.
CLASS 2A
DANBURY 9, NACOGDOCHES CENTRAL HEIGHTS 1: Kaylee Garner pitched a six-inning, 15 strikeout one-hitter as Danbury pounded Nacogdoches Central Heights 9-1 to claim the Class 2A UIL state softball championship on Saturday.
Garner, the championship game MVP, finished one strikeout short of tying the state record when she was substituted out after six innings with the 9-1 lead.
Central Heights scored first when Cassidy Munson walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Savannah Martin.
Danbury (39-3) scored four runs in the second and fifth innings and added a sixth inning run for the final margin. Brittany Bailey led the Danbury offense with three hits
The Panthers won the state title in their only other appearance in 2004.
Central Heights finished the year 25-17.
CLASS 1A
SHINER 1, GRAPELAND 0: Ashley Shimek capped an uneaten pitching record with a two-hit shutout as Shiner captured a UIL record fourth state softball championship by beating Grapeland 1-0 on Saturday.
Shimek, named the championship game MVP, improved to 24-0 on the season as the Comanches (32-4) added the title to ones won in 2001, 2002 and 2008.
Shimek and Summer Groholski of Grapeland (27-10) matched five scoreless innings before the Comanches scored on back-to-back doubles by Kristin Schechter and Ryan Michalec to take the 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
Shimek struck out five, walked one and hit one, allowing only one Grapeland runner to reach third base.
Shiner finished with 20 straight wins and made a record-tying ninth trip to the state tournament.
