Lewisville High School softball beats Whitmire in five innings, advances to state final

Lewisville High School softball took care of Whitmire with apparent ease Friday, dispatching the Wolverines, 12-2, to advance to the 1A Softball State Championship Series.

The Lions kept up the offensive pressure all game long, scoring in each of the game’s five innings.

Lewisville had scored just four runs in its two previous games against Whitmire this season, splitting the region series.

“We kept pressure from the very first inning to the last,” Lewisville head coach Jerry Thomas said. “I think it’s the first time we ever put runs up in every inning like that. We hit some long balls, had our short game, forced them into some mistakes and some errors. Just all around total offense in the game today. I’m really pleased with their effort.”

Catcher Jordyn Miller went 3-for-4 at the plate with a two-run home run in the second inning, while Laney Lambert went 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the first.

Pitcher Sarah Owens shut down a Whitmire offense that scored six or more runs in each of its past five games. The sophomore struck out 11 batters while only allowing three hits — all of which came in the Wolverines’ two-run third inning..

Owens recovered, and struck out five of the final six batters.

“We always want to win, but today we had a goal we wanted to get to,” Owens said. “We didn’t want two games. We had it in our mind, not that we were going to go to state, but we were going to go to another practice this weekend before we go to state.”

Lewisville is making a third consecutive trip to the softball state championship series. The Lions lost each of the previous two attempts, winning the program’s first and only state title in 2018.

To be back for another try is a major accomplishment for a team that only has two seniors.

“I think it’s the program,” Thomas said. “They know what the program means, and they’re trying to do their part to seal their legacy in the program, make their mark on the history of the program. I think that’s the main drive that focuses and gives them that edge.”

Lewisville will play the winner of the Lower State Championship Series between Lake View and defending state champion Hannah-Pamplico.

The first game of the state championship series is scheduled on May 20, and Lewisville will be the road team.