AUSTIN – You won’t see a more wild finish to a softball game – EVER.
Waco Midway held a six-run lead and needed two outs to lock up the Class 6A state softball championship on Saturday at UT’s McCombs Field, but Weslaco derailed those plans.
Just 24 hours before, Weslaco played in one of the longest state softball games all-time – beating Denton Guyer 5-3 in 13 innings that lasted nearly four hours.
Perhaps the fatigued kicked in early on Saturday against Midway as Weslaco never led until the final at-bat. Midway led 4-3 after two innings and 7-3 after six. Midway tacked on two more in the top of the seventh for its largest lead of the day at 9-3.
Hopes were slim for Weslaco.
Then a miracle was granted.
Midway got a lead off fly out in the bottom of the seventh for the first out. Two outs away and the celebration could start. But a single by Dayla Hinojosa turned into a two-base error to put the runner at third. Hinojosa scored on a single to left from Alexis Soliz to cut the deficit to 9-4. Back-to-back walks for Lola Reyes and Mia Rodriguez loaded the bases. Midway went to a pitching change and on the next batter Clarissa Mejia was hit by a pitch to plate a run and it was 9-5. The rally continued with back-to-back RBI singles from Elizabeth Craig and Romy Nunez and all of a sudden the game was 9-7 – still bases loaded and one out.
Midway made another pitching change and Andrea Ortiz battled before drilling a pitch to deep left field for the walk off grand slam and 11-9 victory. It was the largest comeback in UIL state softball history and the first softball championship for any team from the Rio Grande Valley area.
Of course, Ortiz was voted state champ MVP.
