MANVEL – Forget the fury of one woman scorned.

Katy Taylor’s victory Friday in Game 2 of its regional semifinal victory with Brazoswood earned the Mustangs a vicious ire entering Saturday’s decisive Game 3, and the Bucs wasted no time hiding it.

On the heels of the Mustangs’ one-run shutout win Friday, Brazoswood hit Taylor ace Sarah Blair immediately, scoring one run in the first and sealing a 4-0 win with three insurance runs in the sixth at Manvel.

Brazoswood, which got 10 hits off Blair Friday, pounded her for 11 Saturday. The Mustangs mustered only one hit off Bucs ace Lana Jo Hairston and finished their best season since losing at this stage in 2004.

“We just ran into a stopper today,” Taylor coach Billie Powell said. “She (Hairston) is the best we’ve faced all year. Sarah is a great, great pitcher and I would never trade her for anything, but Lana did a great job on our hitters.”

Three hits and one run in the first was all the cushion Hairston needed. She struck out 10, including the side in the seventh inning to raise her series total to 39, and faced only one batter more than the minimum.

Taylor’s best threat came in the fifth. Alyssa Williams singled to left for the Mustangs’ first hit, but Jennifer Hooker popped out to third base on a bunt and Williams was doubled off at first.

“I could feel the air coming out of our sails after that,” Powell said.

Brazoswood (35-4-1), seeking its first state championship since its 2000 title team went 34-0, will play District 24-5A rival Alvin in the regional finals next weekend.

The Yellow Jackets advanced by eliminating Bellaire in three games.

Meagan Bailey doubled to lead off the first, advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored on Ashley Kappler’s single to right. The Bucs got two more singles in the inning but no more runs.

“We were frustrated after (Friday) night and frankly after the first inning today too but we stayed with what we were doing,” Brazoswood coach Laura Oltman said. “That’s the way the game goes. It’s frustrating sometimes but I told the girls they had to keep hitting the ball for us to move on.”

The dam burst in the sixth.

Katie McGregor drew a one-out walk, then courtesy runner Alex Ogle stole second. She scored when Destany Blanchard’s singled to left and the ball was misplayed.

Mallory Linscomb’s single scored Blanchard, who danced around Taylor catcher Ashley Isbell to touch the plate for a 3-0 lead. Linscomb scored the fourth run on a Lindsey Kappler single.

“We did a great job of putting the ball in play,” Hairston said. “We did (Friday) night too but nothing fell in. Today those hits did.”

Taylor, which defeated Cypress Creek, Lamar and Cinco Ranch in the postseason, finished 26-11.

“Overall we’re disappointed to lose,” Powell said. “We felt we could have gone farther but we’re extremely happy with how well our season went. We were underdogs in every (postseason) series but our girls did a great job of believing in themselves. We put a great Brazoswood team on its heels.”

Subscribe to this comment's feed