Last week, Katy Taylor softball coach Billie Powell chose to have a one-game playoff with Cinco Ranch because he says the Cougars have such great hitting that he wanted to limit their opportunities at the plate.

“We won the coin flip and since we were playing such a great team like Cinco, who has such great hitters, we wanted to limit the times they got to see Sarah (Blair),” he said.

Powell’s strategy paid off when the Mustangs defeated Cinco Ranch 5-2 Friday night at Morton Ranch.

“It worked out tonight and I think any other time…well I don’t want to play them any more, I know that,” said Powell. “It’s tough beating a team like that three times.”

But the Mustangs only had to do it once and they got it done early.

On two outs, Callie Lazarine hit an inside the park home run only to have the umpires overrule it a ground-rule double. It didn’t matter though as Samantha Alegria stepped up to the plate and knocked Lazarine in for the first score of the game.

“When I hit that ball I was just running but then they called me back to second,” Lazarine said. “I went up to our center fielder and said, ‘this is not how it is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be our game and it’s your time to pull me in.’ And she came through. So it was a great job by Sam.”

The Cougars didn’t stay quiet for long though, scoring in the bottom of the third. On two outs, Jessica Stoelke hit her first double of the night and eventually scored on an error to tie the game.

But the Mustangs were fired up. In the next inning, Lazarine ripped a double to score Jennifer Hooker, who reached base from being hit by a pitch.

Taylor’s bats really came alive in the sixth, when the Mustangs got three singles and a triple. Hooker, Lazarine, and Brooke Baker all touched home plate, giving the Mustangs three insurance runs.

“It was good to prove that we’re not just Sarah Blair and the Mustangs,” Powell said. “It was good to see other kids come through. It is very gratifying as a coach to see the girls step up and get their names in the paper.”

Cinco Ranch scored one more time but it wasn’t enough to rout Taylor. The Mustangs won 5-2 and advance to the regional semi-final versus Brazoswood or Pearland.

“It’s better than district,” Lazarine said of the playoff win. “The playoffs are the best of the best and when people say that Cinco is supposed to win, and we come out here and prove it wrong, it’s the best feeling ever."

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