Photo: Brian McLean
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gmsportsmedia1
X – @gosset41
Check out some of the best games, upsets and performances around the metroplex.
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It took more than 24 hours to conclude, but Melissa got by Prosper Walnut Grove in a showdown between two of the premier teams in the state. Sophomore catcher Lulu Adrian blasted the go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Cardinals defeated the Wildcats 8-4 in District 9-5A on Wednesday night.
Walnut Grove led 3-2 in the third inning on Tuesday, when the game started, but it was delayed and later postponed due to lightning. The game resumed Wednesday in Melissa and the home run fest continued.
The Wildcats (15-6, 6-1) were on fire in the top of the first inning with three consecutive home runs off Melissa starter Eloisa Maes. Ella Berlage hit her eighth homer of the season followed by freshman Vivian McKernan (4) and Kailee James (8).
All three players were down in the count with two strikeouts.
Maes was able to stop the wound with back-to-back strikeouts – a stretch of five in a row and eight of nine. The Cardinals’ lineup got behind her with runs in the first and second innings. Finlee Williams led the bottom of the first with a single to right and two batters later, scored on ground out from Caigan Crabtree.
Walnut Grove starter Lyndsey Hooker gave up two more singles, but got a pop fly to end the inning and keep the Wildcats in front. After Maes struck out the side in order, Melissa (21-0, 7-0) added another run in the second. Hattie Winter had a two-out single and scored on a triple by Williams.
The game was first delayed after Walnut Grove’s third home run in the first inning and then again in the third when both teams called it and pushed it back to Wednesday. When they came back, the Cards grabbed the lead with back-to-back bombs by Izzy Gonzales (5) and Paisley Needham (5) in the fourth.
Berlage hit her second home run and team-leading ninth of the season that tied the game in the fifth. Winter and Crabtree both walked and Kennedy Bradley singled to load the bases for Melissa in the bottom of the sixth. Adrian had a 1-1 count before fouling two straight balls off and then drove a pitch over the right field wall to give Melissa an 8-4 advantage.
It was Adrian’s 12th long ball of the season. She set a DFW record with 22 last year.
Maes got the first two batters out in the top of the seventh before Walnut Grove got a walk from McKernan and a single from James. Maes closed out the game with her 13th strikeout of the night – finishing with six hits allowed.
Hooker struck out four batters for the Wildcats.
The teams will meet again in the regular season finale in Prosper on April 18.
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STAT OF THE NIGHT
10- Leonard’s Lauren Pemberton drove in 10 runs during the Tigers’ 23-15 win over Pottsboro in District 11-3A on Wednesday. The junior catcher went 3 for 4 with two home runs, two walks and two runs scored. Her 3-run homer in the second gave Leonard a 9-0 lead. She added a grand slam in the third inning to make it 14-2. Pemberton has four home runs this season along with 22 runs batted in – 15 in the last three games.
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WALK IT OFF CENTRAL
The Chargers had a two-out rally and Kaylee Hamill hit the walk-off 2-run single as Keller Central beat Timber Creek 3-2 in District 4-6A on Wednesday. With two outs and down one, Brylee Salinas got a hit followed by a hit by pitch by Sydney Powell and walk from Madison Landers. Freshman pitcher Ava Tennies-Clark threw four innings with no hits, no runs, one walk and four strikeouts.
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OTHER NOTABLE WINS
ROCKWALL 14 NORTH FORNEY 4
McKinley Mann allowed two hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief and struck out nine batters as the Yellowjackets beat the Falcons in District 10-6A on Wednesday. Mann is a junior Southern Nazarene commit. Chloe Phe homered and Addison Edgington and Presley Brott both tripled and combined for three RBIs.
FORNEY 12 ROCKWALL HEATH 2
Domiana English hit her 13th home run as the Jackrabbits beat the Hawks in District 10-6A. Eva Daniels, Emmie Santos and Ryann Harris all had two RBIs each.
WYLIE 12 WYLIE EAST 6
The Pirates broke a 6-6 tie with six runs in the top of the ninth during their win over cross town rivals Wylie East in a showdown between the top District 9-6A teams.
After the Raiders scored four in the bottom of the sixth to grab a 6-4 lead, Wylie scored two in the seventh and forced extra innings. Amira Forbit hit a lead off double to center and scored on a double from Cori Vogeley to bring it to 6-5. Gracie Gragert came in to run for Vogeley and scored with two outs on a Wylie East error that tied it.
Wylie got RBIs in the ninth from Carlee Casteneda, Katelyn Ashenfelter, Mia Gamez, Ava Cook, Santiago and Forbit. Santiago went 4 for 5 with a triple and three RBIs. Cook added two hits, two RBIs and three runs. Forbit had two RBI doubles.
BOYD 3 PARADISE 2
Abby Atkinson allowed one earned run on three hits as Boyd scored three times in the top of the sixth to edge out Paradise in District 10-3A on Tuesday night. Atkinson struck out 10 batters and also went 2 for 4 with a double at the plate. Her counterpart Brooke Limbaugh allowed six hits in a complete game effort and also had an RBI double for the Panthers.
MIDLOTHIAN HERITAGE 17 KAUFMAN 7
Taylor Bilderback hit her ninth home run of the year, added a triple and drove in three during the Jaguars’ District 15-5A win over Kaufman on Tuesday night. Ariel Dean had two hits and four runs batted in while Ava Robinson, Skeylah Shirley and Rylee Parrish combined for 10 hits and five RBIs.
BROCK 11 GRAHAM 1
Freshman Ali Coleman tossed a no-hitter and struck out eight as the Eagles beat Graham in District 6-4A on Tuesday night. Coleman allowed one unearned run and one walk and also helped herself at the plate with a double and four RBIs.
The Eagles improved to 18-0-2.
Mia Richards went 2 for 2 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored.
CRANDALL 4 RED OAK 1
Jill Prda allowed one unearned run on five hits and struck out 12 as the Pirates took down the Hawks in District 15-5A on Tuesday. Raylee Mask led the Crandall bats with a double and two runs batted in.
FLOWER MOUND 5 HEBRON 3
Bella Flores and Adi Bicknell led the Jaguars to their sixth straight win during their District 5-6A contest against Hebron on Wednesday. Both teams entered the week tied with Denton Guyer for first place in district. Flores, a freshman, allowed two earned runs and struck out 14.
The Jags rallied back with four runs in the top of the seventh.
The first three batters reached base and Olivia Rains tied it with a grounder. Bicknell drove in two runs with a double to center that gave Flower Mound a 4-2 lead. Daphne Galason added an RBI single that drove in Bicknell.
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OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
Alexa Addison: 3-4, 1 double, 3 RBIs during Weatherford’s 20-10 win over Mansfield.
Leala Kloewer: Threw a 2-hit shutout and struck out 14 during Sanger’s 1-0 win over Van Alstyne.
Addison Hudnall: 7 innings, 5 hits, 0 earned runs, 13 Ks during Frisco Emerson’s 10-1 win over Frisco Liberty.
Taylor Mckean: Threw a perfect game (4 innings) with 10 Ks and also homered during Aledo’s 16-0 win over Azle.
Kyleigh Pawlak: Homered and drove in 5 during Aledo’s 16-0 win over Azle.
Bre Benavidez: 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 11 Ks, 3-5, 2 doubles, 1 triple, RBI during Ennis’ 10-3 win over Corsicana.
Finley Montgomery: 3 innings, 1 hit, 1 run, 5 Ks, 3-3, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs during Denton Guyer’s 12-1 win over Braswell.
Gracie Whitt: 3-4, double, triple, 3 RBIs during Nevada Community’s 6-4 win over Wills Point.
Bailey Brown: 2 home runs, 3 RBIs during Bells’ 8-4 win over Blue Ridge.
Ady Fincanon: 4-4, home run, 2 RBIs during Allen’s 5-2 win over Plano.
Tatum McMinn: Drove in 5 runs during Mineral Wells’ 12-4 win over Glen Rose.
Maggie Castaneda: 4-5, 2 home runs, 7 RBIs during North Side’s 19-4 win over Trimble Tech.
Kylee Spray: Threw a no-hitter (7 innings) with 1 walk and 11 Ks during Springtown’s 1-0 win over Eagle Mountain.
Payton Perez: 7 innings, 4 hits, 0 earned runs, 8 Ks, triple, RBI during Quinlan Ford’s 5-1 win over Caddo Mills.
Izzy Weber: Hit a home run and drove in 4 during Plano John Paul II’s 11-0 win over Dallas Bishop Lynch.
