Photo: Brian McLean
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
On Saturday, the Melissa Cardinals had their final tune up before the UIL playoffs – beating Arkansas state champ Bentonville 5-3.
Melissa improved to 29-0 and extended its winning streak to 44 games. The Cardinals won their first title last season and set the Texas state record with 92 home runs in 41 games.
Well, that record dropped last week.
The Cardinals hit their 94th home run on Saturday vs Bentonville, a 2-run bomb from senior Paisley Needham. 94 dingers in 29 games. In their previous game, a win over Prosper Walnut Grove for the District 9-5A championship, Shug Bradford, Caigan Crabtree, Gabby Kuehler and Lulu Adrian all went deep to increase their HR total to 93 – breaking last year’s mark.
Junior Florida commit Kennedy Bradley leads all of DFW with 19 home runs – one off her 20 she had last season. Sophomore Finlee Williams is second on the team with 15 followed by Crabtree (Texas signee) and Adrian (2027) at 14 each. Adrian set the DFW record last season as a freshman with 22 homers while Crabtree had 21 and is the career record holder at the school.
Izzy Gonzales and Needham (Grayson College) both have 8 followed by Rihanna Wheeler at 7. Bradford has 5 while Kuehler (2), Hattie Winter (1) and Emmy Mabry (1) round out the lineup.
Melissa – the #1 team in the nation – opens the 5A D1 playoffs vs Texarkana Texas High.
