High school softball update: Bowie's Olivia Moreno player of the week; Thorndale red hot
Diamond dust
Anderson is 6-0 in District 17-5A play after beating Travis 23-0 in a game that the Trojans scored 11 runs in the first inning then 12 more in the second. The game was called after Travis batted in the third. Junior center fielder Leti Paiz is off to a hot streak as she is hitting .550 with 33 hits and 11 RBIs. Anderson recovered from a slow start before shining in league play.
In District 18-5A action, Pflugerville got two hits each from Delilah Robles, Emma Holmes, McKenna Ross, Abby Lemmons and Zyniah Reese to beat Manor 14-0. Robles pitched five innings of a two-hit shutout while Reese pitched the sixth inning. Pflugerville led 1-0 after four innings before putting up five runs in the fifth and eight more in the sixth for the run-rule victory. Weiss beat Cedar Creek 13-2 while Hendrickson blanked Connally 17-0. State ranked Elgin improved to 5-0 in district by beating Connally 17-1. The Wildcats have outscored district opponents 62-2 and have won nine in a row since a February tournament loss to San Antonio Harlan.
More: High school softball update: Dripping Springs' Taylor Anderson feted; Lake Travis rolling
Round Rock took over first place in District 25-6A when Madison Azua fired a 12-strikeout, three-hit, 8-0 win over visiting Vista Ridge. The Dragons followed that win up with an 11-0 victory over Stony Point. Against Vista Ridge, Round Rock scored all the runs Azua needed in the bottom of the first inning when Malarie Medina singled home Brantley Lavas and Journey Brannon. Medina and Maddie Woodul had two hits each. Medina also scored twice, as did Lavas and Brannon. Azua had a third-inning double that hit the fence at the left field foul post. Vista Ridge catcher Charli Watson had two of the three Rangers hits.
Vista Ridge bounced back as Mikala Hamm threw a no-hitter in a 7-0 win over Hutto while Brooke Wells had three hits including her 10th home run of the season. Nicole McCann pitched a complete game shutout as Cedar Ridge beat McNeil 10-0. McCann struck out 10 and walked none while Tyra Thompson had three hits and three RBIs. Taylor Phillips added two hits, including a double.
Bowie beat Lake Travis 3-0 in a battle of District 26-6A co-leaders as Emma Solis pitched the first of her two victories in the week. Solis earned the win as Olivia Moreno hit for the cycle in a 13-2 win over San Marcos. Lake Travis rebounded from the loss to Bowie by beating Akins 4-2 as Toni Williams hit a solo home run and had a great defensive play for a double play. Jillian Jackson had an RBI double. Paige Connors had eight strikeouts in the circle.
SJ Geurin pitched a perfect game with 11 strikeouts as Leander blanked Glenn 13-0 in five innings in District 25-5A play. The Lions scored a run in the first inning then two in the second, six in the third and four in the fourth to claim the run-rule victory after Glenn failed to score in the top of the fifth inning. Meagan Lee had three hits for Leander while Madalyn Strader added three hits. Paige McCall collected two hits, a home run and a double, with three RBIs while Lion catcher Marley Neises tripled and collected three more RBIs. Leander then beat East View 7-1 as Geurin fanned 13 and Neises drove in two runs with three hits, including a triple and a home run.
More: Madison Azua leads Round Rock softball past Vista Ridge
Georgetown crushed Liberty Hill 14-0 as Kennedy Miller homered while Haiden McGehee tripled and both Madison Hartley and Abby Hodgson doubled for the Eagles. Hartley pitched the complete-game, six-inning contest allowing two hits and striking out 11. The Eagles then beat Cedar Park 6-0 as Hartley threw six innings and Cambree Creager finished the game. Overall the duo allowed just two hits over seven innings. Hartley had a monster day at the plate with two home runs and three RBIs.
Dripping Springs beat Seguin 5-0 in District 26-5A play as Haley Kanetzky had two hits and drove in three runs for the Tigers. Haiden Anderson pitched a two-hit, 10-strikeout shutout for the Tigers. The Dripping Springs softball team, only hours after being upset on the road by Kerrville Tivy 2-1 on Friday night, bounced back in a big way Saturday as it exploded for a seven-run second inning and beat Johnson 9-4. Taylor Anderson had four hits in five at-bats, driving in one run, scoring once and stealing two bases. Haiden Anderson launched a solo homer and drove in three runs in a 2-for-4 performance. In the pitching circle, she threw six innings, giving up six hits and four runs (only one earned) while walking none and striking out four.
In District 19-4A, state ranked Lake Belton edged Taylor 3-2 while Jarrell outlasted Gateway Prep 7-5. Salado beat Burnet 11-4.
Thorndale pounded Holland 15-0 in a District 27-2A matchup. It was a three-inning, run-rule shortened game. Bulldog freshman Karis Ginn got the win and increased her season strikeout total to 61, 39 in district play. Emilee Baker had three hits and scored two runs while Ginn had two hits and drove in two more runs. Bailee Baker added three more RBIs for Thorndale, which scored 11 runs the bottom of the third inning.
Hyde Park improved to 20-2 as Bella Milicia earned her seventh pitching win and had two hits with two RBIs as the Panthers beat San Antonio St. Anthony 8-7. Skye Perez had two hits, including a double and her seventh home run of the season, while driving in three runs. Hyde Park had a 3-0 week beating Boerne Geneva, St. Anthony and Brentwood. Milicia went 2-0 (9-1 on season) in the circle with four earned runs and 13 Ks in 12 innings. She also went 4-for-8 at the plate with four runs scored. Perez went 7-for-10, hitting her eighth home run and driving in seven runs. Cariana Stout added four runs and five RBIs.
Smithville beat Eastside 23-0 in three innings as Brooke Otto pitched a no-hitter and had two hits with three RBIs. Abby Kennon added four hits and three RBIs while Cierra Adkins had four hits as did Gabby Leal. Otto scored four runs in the lopsided victory.
State polls
District rivals Georgetown and Leander are tops among local teams in the Texas Girls Coaches Association state softball rankings as the Eagles are No. 4 and the Lions No. 6 in Class 5A. Leander beat Georgetown 1-0 in their first district meeting but the Eagles, who were a 2022 state semifinalist have been solid all season while Leander is recovering nicely from a slow start. Thorndale is No. 9 in Class 2A while Thrall is No. 18. Llano is up to No. 13 in Class 3A with Blanco No. 19. Smithville is No. 8 and Taylor No. 10 in Class 4A with Burnet No. 12.
More: High school softball update: Westwood's Elizabeth Joyner wins weekly honors; Leander wins
In Class 5A, after Georgetown and Leander comes Elgin at No. 16 and Dripping Springs at No. 20. In Class 6A, four local schools made the top 20 with Round Rock (14), Bowie (17) and Lake Travis and Vista Ridge tied at No. 20.
Player of the week
Olivia Moreno, junior, Bowie: Just weeks after capturing her second straight girls wrestling championship and going undefeated on the season, Moreno rejoined the softball squad and hit for the cycle while driving in six runs as Bowie beat San Marcos 13-2.
Team of the week
Thorndale: The Bulldogs have been red hot and senior center fielder Emilee Baker has been at the front of the offense. Last week, Baker had 10 hits in 12 at-bats with three walks, two home runs, nine runs scored and five stolen bases while improving her season average to .611.
Games to watch
Friday
Bowie at San Marcos, 7 p.m.
Dripping Springs at Kerrville Tivy, 7 p.m.
Hutto at Vista Ridge, 7 p.m.
Leander at East View, 7 p.m.
Westlake vs. Austin at Butler #1, 7 p.m.
Butch Hart, American-Statesman correspondent
Please submit scores, stats, news, notes and player of the week nominations to Butch Hart at ejhartvb@yahoo.com. Nominations for the player of the week are due each Sunday at 5 p.m.
Fab Fives
Class 6A
1. Round Rock 13-5
2. Bowie 13-5
3. Lake Travis 15-4
4. Vista Ridge 15-4-1
5. Cedar Ridge 10-8
Class 5A
1. Leander 14-5
2. Georgetown 17-2
3. Elgin 12-3
4. Dripping Springs 16-7
5. Anderson 11-8
Class 4A and others
1. Smithville 17-3-1
2. Hyde Park 20-2
3. Thorndale 14-6
4. Llano 12-3
5. Taylor 11-3
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Bowie softball player Olivia Moreno named player of the week
