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Leaving a Legacy behind: Lady Cats beat Lady Broncos in Game 3, 10-6
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
GRAPEVINE -- Before the 2010 season, Plano Senior softball had never been past the second round of the playoffs.
The Lady Wildcats (29-5) advanced to at least the third round for a third straight year Saturday with a 10-6 victory over Mansfield Legacy (27-6) in the decisive game of a best-of-3 area series between two of the top 10 teams in the state. And for a third straight season, matching the work done against Flower Mound in 2010 and Hebron in 2011, Plano won the series, 2-1, after dropping the opening game.
"I don't think losing that first one really fazed us," said Kristen Miles, Plano senior outfielder. "We knew we were capable of winning two straight."
Legacy pitcher Kendall Potts assisted, starting with a 27-minute first inning in which she threw more than 45 pitches, walked four and hit a batter. One of those walks, to senior Erin Lowell, scored a runner and Plano followed up with its lone hit of the frame as senior Katie Hart banged a 2-RBI double off the wall in left to make it 3-0.
But that early lead didn't predicate an easy victory.
"That's a great team we just beat," said Kat Batey, Plano senior pitcher. "They are ranked No. 4 in the state for a reason and we knew it was going to be a battle."
The Lady Broncos tied the score, 3-3, in the bottom of the first off a Plano error and 2-RBI single from Daniella Romero, who was 3-for-3 on the day with three RBIs, a run scored and a double.
After batting around in the first, the Lady Wildcats did so again in the third.
As was the case to start the game, walks played a part in the scoring. Batey, walking for a second time, and junior Julia Knight both drew free passes in the third and went on to score.
"[Head coach Cynthia Zea] always tells us to be smart in the box," Batey said. "If you don't see your pitch, don't swing."
Potts allowed seven free runners in the first three frames and five of them scored.
"Once we get that one runner on, I think that kick starts the rest of us," said Miles, who was 3-for-5 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a double. "We got a chance to see the same pitcher two days in a row and we were definitely feeling it today."
Unlike the first inning, Plano aided Potts' mistakes in the third with a plethora of hits as Lowell, Hart, Miles and senior Jill Holub all had accounted for one in the frame. The base knocks by Miles and Holub, who combined for half the team's 10 hits, led to three more runs and an 8-3 Plano lead.
"I have a lot of confidence in our offense," Batey said, "and they did great today."
Batey gave her team reason to be confident as well as Legacy mustered just one hit over the next three innings. That allowed the Lady Wildcats to up their edge to 9-3 in the fifth thanks to two Legacy errors, a single by Miles and savvy base running.
But as was the case early, Legacy wouldn't go down quietly.
Still trailing in the sixth, 9-3, the Lady Broncos made their push after a bizarre sequence in which Briana Walker had to leave the game due to dehydration (see sidebar). Legacy responded with hits from Taylor Watts and Romero to pull within 9-4 and then made it 9-6 following a two-run homer by Canyon Samuel.
Plano grabbed a run back in the seventh with an RBI by Holub. That run, making it 10-6, was scored with two outs, not surprising given the Lady Wildcats scored all 10 of their runs Saturday with two outs.
"Wow," Zea said when told of the stat, "that's clutch right there."
A double play from Lowell to senior first baseman Ashley McDowell ended Legacy's seventh, set the final at 10-6, gave Plano a 2-1 series win and pushed the Lady Wildcats to the regional quarterfinals.
Next up is district foe Hebron.
This is third straight year the two have met in the playoffs with each team winning one series (Hebron in 2010 and Plano in 2011) and going on to advance to the Class 5A State Tournament in the corresponding season.
All four 8-5A playoff teams have advanced to the regional quarters.
"Just when you think you get out of district," Zea said with a chuckle. "But I think that is just a testament to how tough this district is. And Hebron is a great team; they finished fourth in our district, but they could have just as easily been first in any other district, so this is going to be a tough matchup."
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