UIL State Softball Roundup Day 1

CLASS 1A SEMIFINALS

D’Hanis 3, Neches 2

D’Hanis rallied from a two-run deficit with two runs of its own in the fifth inning and another in the sixth then held off Neches.

D’Hanis (14-6-1), the defending Class 1A champions, will be shooting for its third state title in five years.

Neches (15-4), making its first trip to the state tournament, scored twice in the second on a sacrifice fly to center by Abigail Fletcher who drove home Rylee Jowell. Jowell had walked to lead off the inning and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches.

Vinnie Mayhall followed with a walk and scored later in the inning on a throwing error. But that was it for the Tigers as D’Hanis pitcher Kayla Looper settled in.

Looper (11-3) tossed a complete game for the Cowgirls allowing only one hit, with just one of the two runs allowed being earned. Looper struck out five, but did walk eight batters.

Jessi Sumpter, who had the only hit for the Tigers, took the loss on the mound. All three runs Sumpter (15-4) allowed were earned on five hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts.

D’Hanis tied the game in the fifth when Kenna Herrmann doubled down the left field line to knock in Ryan Magers and Brighton Beard who had both reached on infield singles.

Looper walked to lead off the sixth, stole second, then scored on a single to center by Peyton Burell.

Neches loaded the bases with two out in the seventh, but Looper got out of the jam with a ground out to short.

Hermleigh 9, Dodd City 3

Hermleigh erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth then cruised to a win over Dodd City.

Hermleigh (21-6) will face D’Hanis (14-6-1) for the Class 1A state title at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at McCombs Field.

Summer Smith singled up the middle driving in two and Juli Munoz doubled to left center to plate two more in the seven-run fifth. Smith went 3-for-4 with three RBI and Munoz finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.

Sydney Hancock and Lexi Greenwood had two hits each for Hermleigh.

Smith (21-6), who started on the mound for the Cardinals, didn’t allow a hit until there were two out in the fourth when Lindsey Mauppin singled to left. Smith scattered six hits allowing three runs, all earned, with one walk and nine strikeouts.

Mauppin (7-6) took the loss on the mound for the Hornets and led Dodd City at the plate going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS

Weimar 3, Crawford 0

Reagan Wick tossed a five-hit shut out to lead No. 3 Weimar over top-ranked Crawford. The Wildcats will attempt to win their sixth state softball title on Wednesday.

Wick (32-3) allowed five hits and didn’t issue a walk while striking out eight.

Izzy Reeves doubled to right center on the first pitch of the game for Weimer (39-6-1) and later scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Taylor Smith. Wick, who had reached on an error, came home on a Paige Pavlu single to up the lead to 2-0.

Crawford (34-3), the defending Class 2A state champions, got a good pitching performance by Kenzie Jones (30-3), but the Pirates just couldn’t string any hits together.

Jones gave up five hits, three runs (two earned), with one walk and six strikeouts.

Pavlu walked with two out in the third. Alazay Moreno came in as a pinch runner for Pavlu and moved to second on a single to center by Hannah Fisbeck.

Kylie Helmcamp followed with a single to left, knocking in Moreno for a 3-0 lead.

Como-Pickton 7, Stamford 1

Como-Pickton scored three runs in each of the first and fourth innings and pitcher Mattison Buster scattered nine hits while allowing one, unearned, run as the Eagles ran away from Stamford.

No. 2 Como-Pickton (38-2) will be playing for its first state title when they face No. 3 Weimar (39-6-1) in the 2A championship at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at McCombs Field.

Paisley Watkins (2-for-3) singled in a pair of runs in the first and scored on a bunt single by Maggie Brown in the fourth. Buster had two hits in four trips for C-P.

Saylor Smith went 3-for-3 with a double and triple for the Eagles and scored twice. Smith tripled to start the fifth for the Eagles and scored on a ground ball to third by Sarah Corley to give Como-Pickton a 7-0 lead.

Jay’Lynn Hatley went 3-for-3 with a double for Stamford (27-7-1). Emily Patterson and Laylonna Applin had two hits each for the Bulldogs.

Stamford won the state title in 2021 in its only previous trip to the state tournament.