PHOTO: Rockwall celebrates its Game 2 win over Waco Midway on Thursday. The Yellowjackets beat the Panthers 10-0 (Credit: Matthew Smith)
MIDLOTHIAN – Rockwall’s seventh-inning rally came up short as the Yellowjackets’ season came to an end 8-7 against Waco Midway in Game 3 of the Class 6A Region 2 championship on Friday at Midlothian HS.
Rockwall ends the season 32-9-1.
Midway advances to its 11th state tournament and first since 2012. The Panthers will in the 6A semifinals at 4 or 7 pm next Friday 5/31 at the University of Texas.
Rockwall trailed 8-6 after Midway scored two in the bottom of the sixth. The game went into a lightning delay for about an hour. When play resumed, the Jackets had one last opportunity in the top of the seventh. Taylor Minor led the inning off with a single to center.
Minor scored from first on an RBI double to deep center by Abrianna Kennedy. Rylie Swindall reached base to put runners on the corners and two outs.
But Midway pitcher Lanee Brown got a shallow fly ball as Midway clinched a state berth.
The Yellowjackets scored first when Chloe Phe hit an opposite field home run to right in the opening inning. Rockwall had a chance to put up a big frame with the bases loaded and one out. Minor hit a liner to center that was caught and a runner at third tagged up. But the throw went to third and the umps ruled the runner left early to make it a double play.
Midway also loaded the bases in the first and tried to catch Rockwall off guard with a two-out bunt, but third baseman Savannah Ford came up to field the ball and tossed it to catcher Laci Larsen at home for the force.
The Panthers, District 12-6A champs, took a 2-1 lead in the second on a two-run home run by Kelsey Mathis to center. Rockwall pitcher Ainsley Pemberton struck a batter out with one out, but the Midway player got to first on a dropped third strike. On the play, Larsen threw to first in enough time for the out, but the batter’s helmet collided with the glove that poked the ball out and into the dugout. The play was ruled out of play and the runner was awarded second.
Pemberton struck out the next batter for the second out, which would have ended the inning. Then Mathis drilled a pitch over the left center wall to give Midway the lead.
Rockwall caught a break in the top of the fourth. Rachel Lawyer did a check swing and the ball landed about five feet from the plate. Brown fielded it but didn’t make a play and the bases were loaded with one out. Swindall hit a pitch to first and the throw home was in time, but not secured as two runs came across on the error that gave the Jackets a 3-2 advantage.
Phe added an RBI on a sac fly to right and Rockwall led 4-2.
The lead didn’t last long as Mathis tied it with her two-run double to deep center in the fourth. Presley Brott led off the Rockwall fifth with a solo homer to left and the Jackets were back in front 5-4. Midway went ahead 6-5 in the fifth when Harper Haas hit a deep ball to right and the speedster rounded third for a two-run inside the park home run.
Savannah Ford reached second in the sixth when Midway couldn’t catch a fly ball in center. Swindall reached on a bunt and Phe drove in her third run with a single to left that tied the game at 6. The Jackets had the bases loaded when Larsen hit a hard ground to third, but it was fielded for the third out.
Dania Durr gave Midway an 8-6 lead in the sixth with a two-run single to left.
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After Midway had the walk-off win in the eighth inning of Game 1, Rockwall dominated Game 2 on Thursday to even the series. The Jackets scored 10 runs on nine hits and Brott was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to send them to a 10-0 victory in five innings.
Brott led the second with a solo home run and Ford drove in a run with a sac fly for a 2-0 lead. The inning continued as Swindall hit a line drive to left for a two-run triple that scored Minor and Lawyer.
Kansas commit Ava Wallace led the third with a single to right and scored two batters later on an RBI double by Larsen. Wallace grounded out in the fourth, but Midway committed an error and Swindall and Phe scored to make it 7-0.
The first four batters reached in the fifth and Lawyer reached on a bunt single to third. Kennedy scored on a throwing error for an 8-0 lead. Swindall walked and two batters later Wallace’s RBI single to center scored Ford to make it 9-0. Brott was hit on a 3-1 count and Lawyer scored from third to end the game. Pemberton allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four.
Pemberton played in her final HS game – putting together one of the best careers in program history. She finished with 1,000 strikeouts and will move on to college where she will play at Penn. She is part of the 2024 class that took Rockwall to its only state tournament appearance as freshmen in 2021.
