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The Mount Pleasant Lady Tigers softball team swept the Dayton Lady Broncos in the best of three series, 6-5 and 10-0, in the Class 5A Region II Bi-District Softball playoffs this past weekend at Rusk High School. With the win, the Lady Tigers (24-10-1) will advance to the Area Round of the UIL playoffs and face Forney. The best of three series will begin Thursday-Saturday at Royse City High School. On Thursday, Mount Pleasant will be the home team and visitors on Friday. Both games start at 7:00 pm. Game 3 would occur at noon on Saturday if necessary, and a coin toss would decide the home team.
In Game 1 against Dayton, the game came down to the wire, as the Lady Tigers secured the victory in walk-off fashion. With two outs and the game tied 5-5, Lady Tiger freshman Kaylin Brannon slapped a triple past a diving Dayton left fielder to score Kelsey Howard from second base and give MP the 6-5 win.
Three times in the game, the Lady Tigers had to rally to tie the game before securing the win. Dayton jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as a Bronco runner scored on a wild pitch. MP tied the game in the bottom of the first, as Kaylee Silman reached on a single and moved into scoring position. Jordan Batchelor delivered with a two-strike, two-out RBI double to left field, knotting the game at 1-1.
Trailing 2-1 in the home half of the fifth, the Lady Tigers answered again as Azzy Fluellen singled to begin the inning. Silman followed with a one-out infield single. Following a pick-off play, Morgan Hill slapped a single through the hole, scoring Fluellen to tie the game at 2-2.
The seventh inning set up the game for a wild ending, as Dayton rallied for three runs in the top of the inning for a 5-2 lead. The Lady Tigers answered the Bronco, scoring again for the third time in the game. Fluellen doubled to start the inning, followed by a walk to Brannon. Silman grounded out to third, advancing both runners into scoring position. Hill grounded out to second base, scoring Fluellen for the RBI and cutting the score to 5-3. Conlee Zachry beat out an RBI infield single, plating Brannon and pushing the score to 5-4. With two outs, Batchelor slapped a double to the right-centerfield gap, scoring Zachry from first base and tying the game at 5-5.
Dayton tried to regain the lead at the top of the 8th, but the Lady Tigers’ defense shut the door before walking it off in the 8th. Zachry went the distance in the circle, allowing four earned runs on five hits and fanning one in eight full innings of work.
MP finished the game with 12 hits, including five extra-base hits. Silman led the hitting attack with three hits, two singles, and a triple. Batchelor finished with two doubles and two RBIs, as Zachry and Fluellen collected two hits apiece. Brannon tripled, walked, scored, and had one RBI, while Howard singled and scored the game-winner.
The Lady Tigers would take the energy of the game one walk-off into game two of the series. MP scored what proved to be all the runs they would need in the top of the first on three walks and a groundout to claim an early 1-0 lead. Silman, Hill and Batchelor all would walk to the start the game. Silman scored the lone run in the inning on a RBI ground out from Amariya Miller.
Leading 1-0, the Lady Tigers added a four spot in the top of the fifth, as Fluellen led off with a bunt single. Brannon delivered again with a two-strike blast to left field for a home run, pushing the MP lead to 3-0. Silman followed with a triple to left field and scored on a fielder’s choice by Zachry, extending the Tiger lead to 4-0. Zachry, who moved into scoring position, scampered home on a single by Batchelor, giving MP the 5-0 advantage.
The Lady Tigers put the game and series on ice as MP doubled up the Broncos with five more runs on six hits in the top of the seventh, making the score 10-0. Silman, Zachry, Batchelor, Miller, and Casey Jones all singled in the frame, while Fluellen blasted a triple down the left field line. Batchelor delivered a stellar performance inside the circle, throwing a no-hit shutout. She struck out six in the seven-inning complete game. Silman, Batchelor, Fluellen, and Brannon led the offensive attack with two hits each. Silman scored three times, while Zachry had a single, RBI, and two runs. Miller, Brannon, and Fluellen knocked in two runs each.
“Our kids played with such desire and tenacity the entire series. The comeback win in game one was so much fun. We just kept battling and fighting to the last pitch and found a way to win. Winning game one allowed us to play more relaxed in game two and finish out the series. Our pitchers made key pitches in both games that kept us in it. Jordan pitched a gem in her no-hitter; she was spot on, and we played great behind her. Offensively, we continued to make adjustments throughout both games. I am very proud of the kids!”