PHOTO: Brian McLean
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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Melissa senior and Grayson College signee Paisley Needham drilled a pitch to deep left vs Midlothian on Thursday during their Class 5A Division 1 regional semifinal in Coppell.
It marked the program’s 106th home run THIS SEASON – a record breaking dinger. Melissa broke the previous national high school home run record of 105 that was set in 2022 by North DeSoto from Louisiana.
The Cardinals (34-0) won their 49th straight game, 13-1, and can close out the series back in Coppell during Game 2 on Friday.
Isabell Gonzales and Needham hit back to back home runs to lead off the third inning on Thursday to tie and break the record. It was both their 10th home runs of the season.
11 different players have hit one home run this year.
Junior Florida commit Kennedy Bradley leads with 23 – a single season record in DFW. She had two home runs vs Frisco Wakeland in the area round to break that record. Finlee Williams and Texas signee Caigan Crabtree are next with 16 each. Williams came over from Allen, where she was one of the top freshmen last season.
Crabtree, a shortstop, hit 21 HRs in 2024 helping Melissa to the 5A state championship. She was named state champ MVP as the Cards finished 38-2-1. Crabtree hit a home run in the fifth inning against Midlothian.
Bradley hit 20 last year and just recently went over 50 homers for her career.
Lulu Adrian, who set the previous record with 22 in 2024 as a freshman, has 15 dingers this spring. After Needham and Gonzales, Rihanna Wheeler and Shug Bradford have seven and six. Gabby Kuehler (2), Emmy Mabry (1) and Hattie Winter (1) round out the lineup.
Against Midlothian, Eloisa Maes and Makenna Ramsey combined for a no-hitter with the only run going unearned. Needham finished with a game high four runs batted in while Gonzales and Adrian each had three. Crabtree was the leader with three hits.
