Softball, baseball playoffs continue
By Joel Luna
The Facts
Published May 3, 2007
As high school softball squads move into the area round of their playoffs, baseball teams are set to begin first round, bi-district action.
Five county softball teams remain in the playoffs — Class 5A Brazoswood, Alvin and Pearland; Class 4A Angleton; and Class 3A Columbia — all have games today or Friday.
Four baseball teams — Class 5A Alvin and Pearland; Class 4A Angleton and Class 3A Sweeny — begin their quests for state titles tonight.
Softball
After toppling Fort Bend Kempner, Brazoswood (27-5-2) takes on Pasadena Memorial (13-20) in a best-of-three series beginning at
7 p.m. today at Pearland. The second game is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Pearland, with a third game set for 11 a.m. Saturday, if needed at the same spot.
The fourth-seeded Lady Mavericks of District 22-5A surprised District 21-5A champion Beaumont Westbrook in a 2-0 one-game, first-round showdown for the right to play the Lady Bucs.
“We played them in the BISD Classic in early March and beat them,” Brazoswood coach Laura Oltman said. “Their pitcher, Kelsey McClain, threw a two-hitter against Westbrook and also hit the two-RBI double that won the game. She hits her spots well and has a decent rise and screw ball.”
Oltman said this is Memorial’s first trip to the playoffs.
Alvin (29-7) beat Fort Bend Clements in a three-game series and now tangles with Dobie (25-7) in a best-of-three. The series opener is 6:30 p.m. today at the Pasadena ISD Sports Complex and continues with Game two at 6 p.m. Friday, with a third game to follow, if necessary.
The teams met in tournament play this season, with the Lady ’Jackets pulling out a 2-1 win.
Pearland (27-7), which set aside Fort Bend Austin in the opening round, will play in a three-game series versus Kingwood (19-9) beginning today at 6:30 p.m. at Baytown Lee. The second game will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, with a third game to follow, if necessary.
Angleton (27-10-1), which trails in its series to Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill (32-2) after dropping the opening game Tuesday 9-2, begins Game 2 at 5 p.m. Friday in Clear Creek. A third game will follow, if necessary.
Columbia (25-9-2) is looking to defend its state title from a year ago and will face Splendora (21-7), the Texas Girls Softball Coaches Association’s second-ranked team in Class 3A. The series will be played at Katy Seven Lakes beginning at 7 p.m. today and continuing with a 7 p.m. starts Friday and Saturday, if needed.
The Lady Wildcats are the District 22-3A champions and rely on Stephanie Lodge (17-7) on the mound. Lodge has a .098 ERA, while Meagen Weldon leads hitters with 21 RBI and a .470 batting average. Six other Splendora batters are hitting .300 or better. Splendora will be the home team in the first game.
Baseball
Angleton (14-13) enters the postseason as the third seed from District 23-4A and will take on Rosenberg Terry (17-13) of District 24-4A. Game 1 is set for 7 p.m. at Terry, the second game for 7 p.m. Friday in Angleton and a third game, if needed, at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wilson Field in Clute.
The Wildcats topped Brazosport in a tie-breaker to capture a playoff spot with hot hitters such as Matt Davis (.411 batting average), Drew Garrett (.394), Steven Sylvester (.390), Garrett Harris (.373), Andrew Ramirez (.339), Darwin Morrow (.306) and Alex Smith (.295). Harris led the team in RBI with 30.
Angleton will have a pitching rotation of Harris (5-1), Smith (3-1) and Collier Crisp (4.16).
“They have a very disciplined team at the plate and are good fundamentally,” Angleton coach Udean Pounds said of Terry. “They are similar to what we try to do, which is reduce mistakes, put the ball in play and force the other team to hit the ball.”
Sweeny (18-9) opens the postseason against La Grange at 7 p.m. today in a three-game series. Game 2 is Friday beginning at the same time, and a third game, if necessary, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Alvin (19-10) and Pearland (21-8) both qualified in District 24-5A.
The Yellowjackets open the postseason with a three-game series against District 23-5A champion Dulles (19-9), with all games played at Manvel. Game 1 is set for 7:30 p.m. today. Game 2 for 7:30 p.m. Friday, and a third game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, if needed.
The Oilers take on Clements (17-11), the fourth seed from District 23-5A in a three-game series. The opening game of that series is 7:30 p.m. today at Pearland, with Game 2 at Clements at the same time Friday. If a third game is needed it will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pearland.
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