It has been a steady-asshe-goes trip for the Dripping Springs Lady Tigers as they move through the playoff bracket. The games have become the type of games one usually expects from fastpitch softball. Good pitching, good defense and adequate hitting. This was evident as they played Southwest Legacy in the area round. Of course, the main thing is to come out on top and advance. The Lady Tigers squeezed by in the first game 1-0 and then came back to take the 4-1 victory.
The first game was an eye-opener and good experience. Legacy was an unknown and expected to be a win. They were an experienced team with ten seniors playing, even though being in the playoffs was not as normal for them as it is for the Lady Tigers.
Jordan Cox was called on to take the mound. She has begun to really hit her stride as her control continues to improve. Her last outing was a perfect game. This game was just a whisker away from being a very rare two perfect games in a row. The fly in the ointment was a two-out blooper that just barely got over the head of the pulled-in third baseman in the fourth. It did not even get out of the infield. In fact, this game was played almost entirely in the infield. The Titans would man age three fly ball outs in the outfield and the Lady Tigers would have one ball make it to the outfield. Very good defensive plays made throughout by both teams.
Dripping Springs took advantage of their one best chance in the third. Mallory Sandoval got an infield single. Attie Lux ran for her. She was bunted to second by Erika Kanetzky and brought in by Linan Scott's double. E. Kanetzky and Cox got the other two hits. Cox added seven strikeouts to her superb outing.
The trip to SW was just as tough from this scrappy group. They even put the first marker on board in their half of the first. Haiden Anderson, the second of the 1-2 punch on the mound, did her part the rest of the way. She would give up four hits, two walks and strikeout nine. The Lady Tigers kept scratching and clawing and was finally able to score a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth for the win. Haley Kanetzky and Scott had two hits each while Cox added the fifth.
Up next will find the Lady Tigers taking on the winner of the Boerne Champion-SA McCollum series in the regional quarterfinal round. Again, check out the school website for the details.
