The seventh inning was another story as the Lady Tigers (31-2) ran with a controversial call that snowballed into five runs and a 7-1 victory as Klein Collins swept the series to advance to the regional quarterfinals.
Klein Collins won the opening game 12-0 via the run-rule Tuesday. For Luna and the Lady Vikings, it wasn’t indicative of their season, and priority one was to put their best foot forward Thursday.
“We didn’t play very well the other night, and I thought our kids had a lot of fight in them tonight,” Luna said. “I asked them to play a better game tonight, and I thought we certainly did. The ball just didn’t bounce our way at the end.”
The Lady Tigers’ decisive seventh inning started when shortstop Katy Schaefer singled off the fence in center field with one out. Nadia Almanza hit a grounder that appeared only to advance the runner, but first baseman Jacque Adams, who had already stepped off first base, dropped the ball while switching hands to throw it back to the pitcher, and the umpire ruled Almanza safe.
Madison Dillon then drilled a line drive that Adams was just able to get the tip of her webbing on before it went into right field. Almanza went back to first base, thinking the ball might have been caught, and right fielder Marisol Garcia threw home in hopes of retiring Gracie Hull. The throw was a split second late, allowing Almanza to move up to second base. One out later, Klein Collins hit a single to right field then had an infield single in which Bryan just missed forcing the runner out at second. Klein Collins then hit a double to the left-center fence for a 7-1 lead.
“A couple of balls didn’t bounce our way, and it is what it is. It’s part of the game,” Luna said. “Really, we played 6 1/3 solid innings, and it’s unfortunate it had to end that way.”
Bryan got its one run of the series in the fifth inning with back-to-back, no-out doubles by Kylie Hernandez and Briann Pendergraff. Both balls made it to the fence and cut Klein Collins’ lead to 2-1, forcing the Lady Tigers to send Game 1’s winner, Kenedy Hines, from second base to the bullpen to warm up.
“I sent [the team] out there by themselves [between innings], sent the seniors out to talk to them, and they did a great job of firing them up,“ Luna said. “We got two bang-bang hits, and unfortunately we couldn’t get closer. The effort was there. That was for sure. ”
Klein Collins sophomore starter Abigail Ramirez, who struck out seven and walked none, got out of the bottom of the fifth with her lead in tact, and Texas-Arlington bound Hines handled the final two innings, striking out five while facing just one over the minimum.
“Kenedy is going to be a Division I pitcher, and she’s got great pop behind her, so I thought her coming out of the dugout and getting out there — it was going to be tough,” Luna said. “I was really hoping for a dinker there [against Ramirez], because we were going to send the runner and try and tie it up before she came in.”
In the top of the fifth, the Lady Vikings kept the score close by intentionally walking Schaefer to load the bases. Schaefer homered in the opening game, and pitching around her worked for Bryan. Almanza grounded to first baseman Jacque Adams, who threw home for the force out, and Madison Dillon grounded to third baseman Analisa Rodarte for the third out.
“We have a lot of respect for [Schaefer],” Luna said. “She hit one they are still trying to find at Lake Creek the other night, and it gives us a force [out], and the kids did a great job of getting out of it.”
After a short rain delay, Klein Collins scored two runs in the third inning on three infield singles and a single to center field. Rodarte made a solid play at third for an out, and center fielder Pendergraff charged Schaefer’s single and threw home quickly to keep the Lady Tigers from adding any more runs.
Rodarte played second base last season but handled the move to third this year.
“Can’t say enough about Analisa Rodarte,” Luna said. “She has been clutch for us on those on-the-run throws. She took a lot of pride on that hot corner. Also, it was a great job by Pendergraff and [pitcher] Jessica Adams. She hit her spots great.”
Adams surrendered 11 hits but only one of the first eight got out of the infield.
“When we came out of that first inning scoreless, I thought this is going to be a good game, and we did play well,” Luna said. “It was a great job by our defense and by Jessica. She pitched her tail off, kept them off balance, a great hitting ballclub.”
Klein Collins 7, Bryan 1
Klein Collins 002 000 5 — 7 11 0
Bryan 000 010 0 — 1 3 1
Abigail Ramirez, Kenedy Hines (6) and Araya Williams; Jessica Adams and Brenda Sanchez.
W — Ramirez. L — ... Click here to read full article
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