Canyon softball clinches 4-4A title with win on senior night
You never know what kind of weather you're in store for here in the Texas Panhandle. One minute, it's hot and rainy, next it's windy and freezing.
Sometimes, it's even raining Gatorade. At least at Canyon High School.
That was the case Friday evening for CHS softball coach Styler Haddock after the Lady Eagles clinched the District 4-4A championship with a 7-0 win over Hereford. The victory was especially sweet given that it came on senior night in the last game of the regular season. The win also moved Canyon to 11-2 in district and 12-15 overall.
If you're doing the math, that means Canyon was just 1-13 in non-district play. Clearly, that's not the start the Lady Eagles were hoping for. But to come back from that position to win the championship in a district as tough as theirs speaks volumes to how far they've come.
"We're starting to click like we should," Haddock said following a postgame Gatorade bath. "Our preseason was pretty tough and we made it tough for a reason. It was so when we got into our tough district we could make a run at it and actually get that title and roll into playoffs. We're playing good right now, we just have to keep that momentum going."
Momentum was on the Lady Eagles' side against Hereford on Friday. They put up one run in the second before throwing six up on the board in the fourth. It was all part of an outstanding day for the Lady Eagle offense as they collected 15 hits.
Ky Knowles led the way on the day with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate with one RBI and one run. She also struck out 11 batters while giving up four hits and walking one batter in the circle. Amber Bertoni was outstanding as well, going 2-for-3 with three RBI including a home run. Kenah Cox batted two runs in while Mikaila Gilliland had two hits as well.
Now, though, it's all about the postseason. The Lady Eagles will match up against a solid Pecos team from District 3-4A. Pecos went 13-13 overall and 4-6 in an outstanding district. Haddock knows what Canyon has to be ready before.
"The little bit I know about them is that they can swing the bat pretty good," Haddock said. "We've got to be ready to go for that."
The best two-of-three series against Pecos will begin Thursday at Lubbock-Cooper.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Canyon softball clinches 4-4A title with win on senior night
