BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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ARLINGTON – Senior Carly Holman struck out nine batters from the circle and added her 11th home run of the season to lead Plano John Paul II to an 11-1 win in six innings against Argyle Liberty Christian during their TAPPS Division 1 state semifinal game on Monday at UT-Arlington’s Allan Saxe Field.
JPII (26-2) faces familiar state tournament foe San Antonio Antonian Prep (26-7) for the state championship at 10:30 am Tuesday back at Allan Saxe Field. A win will give the Cardinals their third title in five seasons.
The Cards beat Antonian 11-10 to win the 2023 state title and 4-2 to win their first in program history back during the 2021 season.
This is JPII’s fifth consecutive year at the state tournament.
“I think it’s a little bit of an advantage playing here. I am comfortable playing here,” Holman said. “Every single time we’re here, it’s a big game – I’m used to it at this point.”
The Warriors, who finished with a 24-4-2 record, found themselves in trouble during the top of the first inning. Abby and Reagan McGraw hit back to back singles to open the game and Sadie Zipser drew a two-out walk that loaded the bases.
But Liberty Christian starting pitcher Sydney Griffin got a grounder to shortstop Avery Combest to end the threat and kept it scoreless.
Holman pitched a clean inning and then helped her own cause in the top of the second after hitting a one-out home run to deep left field. Two more Cardinals reached base before catcher Abby VanVolkenburgh hit a pitch to left that got past the outfielder and plated both runners for a 3-0 lead.
“Started the at bat with a curve ball outside and it was a little off the plate,” Holman said. “I was just looking down and got another curve ball for a strike and I knew I was sitting on the next pitch and she threw me a fast ball inside and I took it deep.”
Holman gave up a one-out walk in the bottom of the second, but got two strikeouts and an infield ground out. Grace James hit an RBI double and Holman followed with a single to left that extended the lead to 5-0.
Reagan McGraw led the fourth with a double and VanVolkenburgh walked. Bridget Mulligan singled to left to make it 6-0. Izzy Weber hit a pitch to shallow left that scored two more as the lead went up to 8-0. James followed Weber with an RBI single to right for a 9-0 JPII margin.
Combest scored the only LCS run with a lead off homer in the bottom of the fourth. The Warriors got back to back singles from Griffin and Makenzie Byler and no body out, but Holman retired the side with three straight punch-outs to run her total to eight.
McGraw added a two-run double in the top of the sixth that activated the mercy rule. Byler drew a walk before a pop fly to second resulted in the first out during the bottom of the sixth. A soft come backer returned to Holman, who started up the 1-6-3 game ending double play for the Cardinals.
Six different players for JPII had multiple hits, led by Reagan McGraw’s three. Weber, Holman, James, VanVolkenburgh and Reagan McGraw each had two runs batted in.
Holman allowed four hits and walked three. JPII combined for 15 hits.
“I love my offense,” Holman said. “They’re great and they make my job a lot easier. There isn’t as much pressure when they give me runs.”
