BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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KENNEDALE – The South Hills softball program had made the playoffs 12 previous times in its history prior to this year. The first came in 2004 and then the Scorpions didn’t go back until 2012 when head coach Drew Wyrick began his run.
From 2012 to 2024, SHHS had gone to the big dance 11 times, including 10 in a row but hadn’t won a playoff round or even a playoff game.
Wyrick said that most of the losses have been by double digits.
During the previous four trips – after 2020 when the playoffs were canceled because of COVID – the Scorpions have postseason defeats of 11-0, 10-0, 11-5, 9-2, 19-1, 19-3, 9-0 and 11-0.
And the way Wednesday night was playing out – South Hills couldn’t get any luck on its side. But the Scorpions tied it with one out in the bottom of the seventh to force extras and then Natalie Ramirez hit the walk-off RBI double in the ninth for the 4-3 win over the Wolves during Game 1 of their Class 5A Division 2 bi-district series at Kennedale.
Game 2 will be 7 pm Friday back at Kennedale.
“After 11 years of never winning a playoff game, just relieved. It’s crazy,” Wyrick said. “I told the girls it took 11 years to get the first one, let’s take one day to get the second one.”
Timberview, which was back in the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, got a lead off single from Daisy Mejia, who advanced to third. But SHHS pitcher Kim Valenzuela got a strikeout to end the threat in the first.
The Scorpions had two runners in scoring position, but Timberview pitcher Victoria Perez got her own punch-out to end the second.
The Wolves threatened in the third with the bases loaded. Junior third baseman Addy Williams drilled a pitch off the left field wall and drove two in to give her team a 2-0 lead.
South Hills got one run in the fourth on a two-out error.
Timberview got it back in the fifth when Melody Aguilar scored on an RBI double by catcher Makayla Ratcliff.
In the bottom of the fifth, Valenzuela doubled, but was thrown out trying to steal third. Then Perez ended the inning with another strikeout.
Valenzuela would get a comeback grounder to keep the Wolves scoreless in the top of the sixth. The Scorpions put runners on second and third with nobody out in the bottom of the inning. But the runner at third was tagged out at the plate after a passed ball.
On a soft hit, Perez made a diving catch and nearly turned two at third, but her throw which came while sitting, was just off. But the Wolves tried to get the runner at first out, who was trying to get back to base. However, the throw was also off and a runner scored to pull SHHS within 3-2 after six.
Perez ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh with runners on the corners and no outs. Arianna Hernandez came in relief and got the first out on a passed ball. Ratcliff tossed it to Hernandez who applied the tag at home plate.
But the Scorpions tied it with an RBI grounder from Moriah Dean.
With a runner at first in the bottom of the eighth, Hernandez got a fly out to right that sent the game to the ninth inning.
“11 years of playoff madness, it wouldn’t be easy,” Wyrick said. “They came through, they battled back and tied the game and just made play after play after play.
“Top of the lineup in the seventh – speed on the bases and Mo came up big. She came up huge to tie the game. We at least tied the game and got to play.”
Valenzuela, a junior, pitched all nine innings.
Wyrick said it was her first game of the season over seven innings.
“Kim was lights out. I wouldn’t put anyone in there the whole game,” Wyrick said. “She did so great. She came up big in every single moment. Any time they had a runner on second or third, she would make the big pitch and get a pop up or strikeout, it was amazing.”
