Smithson Valley squeezes past Pearland 1-0 in state final

June 8, 2009

AUSTIN — Pearland faced a very talented Smithson Valley team in the Class 5A state finals and the game would hinge on one team taking advantage of a rare scoring opportunity over the other.

For the Lady Oilers, Smithson Valley pitcher Baily Watts began the game a little shaky as the righthander, who is on her way to UH next year, walked Megan Coronado and Jessica Bowden. A fielder's choice sent the runners to second and third with two outs. After Kimberlee Rychlik walked to load the bases, Jaclyn Bechtel flew out to end the scoring threat and the Lady O's came up empty.

   

In the sixth inning -- the Lady Rangers loaded the bases with no outs. After a ground ball resulted in a force at home to keep the game tied 0-0 -- head coach Wayne Daigle ordered a squeeze bunt by Katie Repole. She laid down a bunt single that sent the runner at third base home for the game's only score.

   

But that was all Smithson Valley needed to hold on for the 1-0 win and the 2009 Class 5A state softball championship.

   

"We loaded the bases in the first inning and we couldn't score," Pearland coach Laneigh Clark said. "They loaded the bases in the sixth inning and they did score. They did what we couldn't and they got this win."

   

There were plenty of tears for the Lady Oilers who, after a little time, will look back  to see that they accomplished as no one in the Houston area thought they could win the regional championship.

   

Pearland was never in a serious conversation as being the team that would win the Region III championship, win the state semifinal game, and advance to play for the state title.

   

"While the seniors won't get another chance -- they were instrumental in seeing this year's team have great success," Clark said after the game. "There is no reason why we can't make a run next year."

   

Pearland finishes with a sparkling 37-7-1 season mark. The Lady O's won the District 22-5A title and the 2009 5A Region III championship while claiming the silver medal as the state runner-up.

Pearland 3 - Vista Ridge 0

Vista Ridge's bid to reach the Class 5A state softball championship game was stranded at third base. And second. And first.

The Lady Rangers, leaving nine runners on base, had plenty of chances to score against Pearland, but they were denied by Pearland pitcher Jessica Bowden, who frustrated Vista Ridge for seven innings to lead the Lady Oilers to a 3-0 victory.

Vista Ridge scratched Bowden for only five hits, all singles. Junior outfielder Kayt-Lyn Johnson had three of those hits, including a seventh-inning single that kept Vista Ridge's hopes alive. The Rangers had two runners aboard when Bowden retired Coralee Ramirez on a high pop to end the game and send the Lady O's to the state 5A finals.

"(Bowden) had a lot of movement on her pitches," Vista Ridge coach Robin Brady said. "Our timing was off a little bit, and I think some of our players might have been guessing. Things like this happen sometimes."

Pearland did something that has happened to a Vista Ridge team all season. The Lady Rangers were blanked only twice in 40 games heading into their first state tournament. They had scored 20 runs total in their previous four playoff games.

The Lady Rangers spent the entire game trying to find a flaw in Bowden and the Pearland defense...but they couldn't do it. Vista Ridge finished with four sacrifice bunts, a strategy intended to move runners into scoring position and put pressure on Pearland's defense.

However, Pearland (37-6-1) was flawless on defense and hit well enough to keep Vista Ridge on edge. The Lady Oilers used a walk, a sacrifice and hits by Kimberlee Rychlik and Lauren Langner (2-for-3) against Ranger pitcher Nikki Hendriks to score a pair of runs in the sixth inning, extra support that made Bowden's job easier.

Facing a lineup with seven left-handed batters, Hendriks pitched all six innings for Vista Ridge, allowing eight hits and two walks. She did not strike out a batter.

“Our defense was spot on today,” Pearland head coach Laneigh Clark said. “We made the plays we needed to make to get this one."

“Both teams were playing small ball today, lots of good bunts put down, but we weren’t scoring so we needed a couple of big hits,” Clark said. “The girls delivered and we got those.”

Top