FORT WORTH – Just over six months ago, the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first World Series championship in franchise history. One member of the title winning team was outfielder Leody Taveras.
Leody’s first cousin is Willy Taveras, who spent seven seasons in the majors – including three with the Houston Astros. Willy’s daughter and Leody’s second cousin is Marina Taveras, a junior infielder for the Aledo Ladycats.
Taveras came through with the walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to push Aledo to a 2-1 win over Joshua in a one-game regional quarterfinal on Thursday at Chisholm Trail. The Ladycats (31-3) move on to the Class 5A Region 1 semifinals next week.
Joshua ends 30-10 with its deepest run since 2019.
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Ana Flores reached first base after a dropped fly ball by Joshua with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Her brother is Estevan Flores, who starred on the Aledo baseball team. He’s a member of the baseball team for the Texas Longhorns.
Flores stole second to put the game winning run in position with one out. Taveras battled with Joshua pitcher Catie Amador and even had a couple of long foul balls. Then she roped a pitch up the middle and Flores scored for the walk-off single.
Aledo will play the winner of Lubbock-Cooper and Lubbock Monterey.
The Ladycats reached state in 2021 and 2022.
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In a pitcher’s duel between Amador (24 wins, Ouachita Baptist) and Aledo duo Brenlee Gonzales (Texas Tech signee) and Taylor McKean (Tarleton State commit), both teams were scoreless through four innings.
The Owls, led by Joshua grad Ashley Benson, scored first in the top half of the fifth inning. Kyndal Foster had a lead-off single and Baylee Jones drew a walk. A grounder to second baseman Delaney Rosser put runners on second and third and one out.
Tori Bennett hit a short chopper and Molly Young scored from third. Gonzales came up to the ball, which only went a few feet and Young beat her to the plate for a 1-0 lead. Aledo had two runners on first and second in the fifth after a bunt single by Addie Perry (UNT). Rosser drew a walk to load the bases.
Flores laid down a squeeze bunt and the Ladycats scored to tie the game. With the bases still loaded and two outs, center fielder Zaidyn Streeter made a running, leaping catch near the warning track to end the inning.
Streeter lead off the sixth with a walk, but was called out trying to steal second. McKean then struck out back-to-back batters for Aledo. The Ladycats got a two-out single from Austyn Marriage and then runners on second and third with two outs. Perry hit a grounder to second and nearly got an infield single but was called out. A run would’ve scored if she was called safe.
With a runner at first, McKean struck out a batter in the seventh. After the first out for Aledo, Flores hit a high fly in shallow center that was dropped. ‘
Aledo beat Birdville 3-2 in 11 innings in last week’s area round.
Joshua swept Granbury 1-0 and 5-1.
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