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Colleyville Heritage punches its ticket to state by edging Justin Northwest in Game 3

The Colleyville Heritage softball team pushed across a lone run in the bottom of the sixth in Game 3 of its Class 5A Region I Final series with Justin Northwest, but that’s all that pitcher Lindsey McConnell needed.

McConnell allowed a one-out walk in the top of the seventh, but closed the door to preserve a 1-0 victory and earn a trip to the state softball tournament next week in Austin.

“It was definitely stressful today, but thankfully I had my defense behind me,” said McConnell who went all seven innings allowing four hits and two walks. “I knew that if they hit it that my defense had my back. We just kept on staying in it until the end.

“It feels so good to go to state. I’m so excited.”

Colleyville Heritage pitcher Lindsey McConnell shut out Justin Northwest in Game 3 of their Class 5A Region I Final series on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas.
Colleyville Heritage pitcher Lindsey McConnell shut out Justin Northwest in Game 3 of their Class 5A Region I Final series on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas.

It will be the first trip back to the state tournament for Colleyville Heritage (37-7) since the Panthers lost in the state semifinals in 1998.

McConnell was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Northwest’s Abi Young, who allowed the winning run without the benefit of a hit.

Leah Perales led off the sixth for the Panthers with a walk and stole second base. A deep fly ball out by Graci Green allowed Leah Perales to tag and move to third.

Leah’s twin sister Alexis Perales then hit a bouncer to short, but the throw home was no where near in time to get the speedy Leah Perales.

“It was great,” said Leah Perales. “I’ve always played with her and I know what she can do so I knew she was going to make it happen and I was going to score. I knew that time was running out and we had to get that run.”

Colleyville Heritage’s Leah Perales slides home with the winning run ahead of the throw to Justin Northwest catcher Taylor Gouge in Game 3 of their Class 5A Region I Final series on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas.
Colleyville Heritage’s Leah Perales slides home with the winning run ahead of the throw to Justin Northwest catcher Taylor Gouge in Game 3 of their Class 5A Region I Final series on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas.

“I wasn’t looking for a home run or anything,” said Alexis Perales. “I just needed a ball in a gap or something in the dirt, nothing popped up. I was just doing my best to get a base hit so, hopefully, we could score.

“I’ve been playing with her since I was five so I knew that she had the speed to get there, I just had to put it in play.”

Young allowed the one earned run in seven innings on four hits, three walks and recorded nine strikeouts.

“It’s easy to get frustrated against a good pitcher, especially after (Friday) night and how many times we left the bases loaded,” said Colleyville Heritage coach Allison Conaway, in her 11th year with the Panthers. “I told the girls that it just takes one. Just one play and you don’t know when that’s going to happen.

“That’s what this game boiled down to. Who got the hit or manufactured the run at the right time and made the plays.”

Northwest (32-8), which reach the state semifinals in 2005, forced a third game after a gutty performance by Young and some much needed, late inning insurance runs in Game 2 on Friday.

The Texans led 2-1 heading into the sixth inning when Colleyville Heritage took out McConnell who started, but left after just 50 pitches (40 for strikes). McConnell allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits, walking none and striking out one.

McKinley Swaim relieved McConnell and was met with four consecutive hits by the Texans. Alexah Reyes doubled to left-center and Sadie Reid followed with a double to left to drive Reyes home.

Aynsli Lawson grounded a single up the middle, hitting the second base bag, plating Reid. A lined triple to center by Sydney Zenon brought Lawson home and Zenon scored an out later on an error to up the lead to 6-1.

The Panthers answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth with RBIs from Leah Perales and Alexis Perales to cut the lead to 6-4, but Young got a couple of strikeouts and a fielder’s choice ground out to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Young, who threw 163 pitches on the night, stranded 14 base runners including leaving the bases juiced in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Heritage won Game 1, 6-0, on Wednesday behind McConnell who flirted with a perfect game. Reyes led off the seventh for Northwest beating out a bunt single for the only blemish.

McConnell struck out the side in the third and finished with six punch outs. DeNae Vasquez-Dickson went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored twice for the Panthers.

“This is one of the most special teams that I’ve coached in a long time,” said Northwest coach Tanya Morrow. “I told the seniors their leadership is unmatched. Their effort on the field, how they support each other, their encouragement.

“Our motto this year has been ‘Texan fight never dies’ and I told them that I’ve had teams in the past that after that loss on Wednesday that they wouldn’t even want to get back on the bus. We came back out Friday and played our game, won, and had a hard fought third game and I can’t be more proud of them for their effort.”