Softball playoff roundup: Eula outlasts Aspermont in 12th; Hamlin rallies, ousts Albany

It doesn’t get much more dramatic than Eula’s heart-stopping 4-3 win over Aspermont in 12 innings Saturday at Cooper’s Cougar Diamond.

The Lady Pirates pulled off a sweep of the Region I-1A semifinal series when Hallie Cauthen scored on an error in the bottom of the 12th.

“The third base official told me at one point, I think it was the ninth inning, that you could cut the tension with a spoon,” Eula coach Jayton Thompson said. “It was an intense day. Aspermont played hard. Man, they fought. But we put ourselves in a position to be successful, and we made them play defense.”

Eula (16-6-2) will play Hermleigh for a state berth in the region finals next week.

Cauthen led off the bottom of the 12th with a single, her fifth hit of the game, and Layla Fostel beat out an infield hit – her team’s 17th hit of the game.

With runners at first and second, Thompson had Laney Foster feign a bunt with Cauthen taking off for third. Cauthen stole third base and scored when the throw sailed into left field.

Aspermont (11-4) had its chances to break the tie in the 11th, but Jessi Rabel was caught in a rundown between third and home before being tagged out to end the top of the inning.

“That was a huge play, otherwise they go up 4-3 and maybe we don’t rally back at that point,” Thompson said.

Eula is back in the region final for the second straight year. Borden County beat the Lady Pirates 6-3 in a one-game playoff last season.

Thompson only returned three starters from last year’s team but she thought the Lady Pirates could make another deep run.

“I knew we had a chance,” Thompson said. “The group that I graduated out had played a lot of softball. I knew growing pains would come with having freshmen, but the dynamic of my team changed. We were faster. We’re more athletic. I knew we had a shot, and seeing it come full circle this weekend was a breath of fresh air. We put in a lot of work, and it paid off.”

Eula got the game’s first run as Calece Coats singled and scored on Avery Meers’ sacrifice fly in the third inning.

The Lady Pirates added two more runs in the sixth. Cauthen singled and scored on Layla Fostel’s sacrifice bunt. Laney Fostel followed with a triple and scored on Coats’ ground out.

Aspermont tied the game with a three-run seventh, getting all three runs with two outs in the inning.

Rabel led off with a single and took second on Payton Potts’ sacrifice bunt. Then after a strikeout, Leah Salazar hit an RBI single. Mikayla Daniel chased another run home with a triple, and Tatum Polk tied the game with an infield single.

It stayed that way until the decisive 12th inning.

Eula pitcher McKenna Oglesby allowed three runs on 13 hits. She struck out 16 and didn’t walk anyone.

Patricia Murguia took the loss for Aspermont, giving up four runs on 17 hits. She struck out nine and walked two in a complete-game performance.

Eula has three state tournament appearances, including a state title in 2006.

Aspermont was playing its first season after a 13-year hiatus from the game. The Lady Hornets hadn’t played in the postseason since 2004 and before this season hadn’t won a playoff game since reaching the region quarterfinals in 2002 for the second straight year.

Thompson, who coached against Aspermont coach Kelsey Myers when Myers was at Rotan, knew it was going to be a tough series.

“She had a very successful program (at Rotan), and they were going to be well-coached,” Thompson said. “Aspermont, the other things they do, their basketball team competes. Their track team competes. I knew there was going to be athletes and competitors. When you have that on your side, skills aren’t the most important thing. But if you look at the outcome from tonight and today, our skills put us on top – being able to make big times in crucial plays.”

Hamlin rally sinks Albany

A two-out error opened the door for a three-run fourth inning by Hamlin, and the Lady Pipers held on to beat Albany 10-8 and sweep a Region I-2A playoff doubleheader at McMurry’s Edwards Field.

Hamlin came back to win the best-of-three region quarterfinal series, after losing the opener 10-7 on Thursday.

“I told the girls after Game 1, they had five minutes to have their heads down and then they pick it up,” Hamlin coach Jason Botos said. “We play a series because the best team usually wins. There was no doubt in my mind and these girls that we were the better team when we stepped on the field today.”

Pulling off a doubleheader sweep after a Game 1 loss was quite a feat, especially on a sweltering 100-degree day.

“That’s a hard hill to climb, especially with our pitcher going 14 innings today and having to grit, man, just to stay in the circle and keep dealing. I’m proud of every one of these girls.”

Emalee Duniven scored on a one-out error in the bottom of the seventh to lift Hamlin to an 8-7 victory in the opener Saturday to force a third and deciding game.

The Lady Pipers (21-6) tied the game at 7 on Sky Lechuga’s two-run single in the sixth.

Samatha Gonzalez and Addison Yarbrough each homered for Hamlin – the latter a two-run shot. Yarbrough led the Lady Pipers with three RBIs, and Lechuga had two.

Ansleigh Garcia had three hits and two RBIs for Albany.

Hamlin carried the momentum over to Game 3 – scoring four runs in the first inning – two on Bo Richardson’s double.

Albany whittled the lead to one, thanks to a three-run third, but Hamlin answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning

Albany scored four runs in the fourth to lead 8-6. Hailey Cox had an RBI double and scored in the inning.

But Hamlin scored three runs in the fourth, all with two outs in the inning, and Gonzalez tacked on an RBI double in the fifth.

Bo Richardson went 4-for-4 with two RBIs for Hamlin, and Cami Claterbaugh had two RBIs. Zoe Moore, Gonzalez and Duniven had two hits each.

Ana Balliew and Cox led Albany with two RBIs each.

Moore went the distance in the circle in both games for Hamlin. She allowed eight runs on 10 hits in the Game 3, walking two.

Coahoma sweeps Merkel

Coahoma erupted for six runs in the fourth inning, and the Bulldogettes held on to beat Merkel 9-6 to sweep the Region I-3A region quarterfinal series at Abilene Christian’s Wells Field.

Coahoma won the opener 5-3 on Friday as Hannah Wells tossed a two-hitter and struck out 14 in the complete-game victory.

Coahoma (27-2) plays either Bushland or Idalou in the region semifinals.

Merkel scored three runs in the first inning. Jaycee Tumlinson doubled in two runs and scored on Catheryn Bennington’s sacrifice fly.

Madison Rodgers hit a two-out, solo homer for Coahoma in the third, but the Lady Badgers added three more runs in the third for a 6-1 lead. Kyleigh Mauldin and Tumlinson each hit RBI doubles in the inning and Bennington drove in another run on a sacrifice fly.

But Wells’ leadoff double sparked a six-run fourth for the Bulldogettes. She scored on Christian Everett’s one-out single, and Nevaeh Kerby hit a three-run double with two outs. Kerby scored on an error. Rodgers and Karleigh Burt capped the inning with consecutive doubles – the latter for an RBI.

Wells led off the fifth with a solo homer, and Shae Lang added an RBI double in the inning.

Wells pitched 3⅔ scoreless innings in relief for the win, striking out eight.

In the opener Friday, Rodgers hit a solo homer, while Avery Rodriguez and Wells each had an RBI.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Eula upends Aspermont in 12th for region finals berth in softball