Nacogdoches High School on Thursday, April 27, 2023 –
The Shelbyville Dragons varsity softball team is tied at 1-1 games in a best-of-three game bi-district softball elimination series with the Lovelady Lions. Shelbyville, District 22 2A’s third seed, won Game 1 by a 5-2 run score and Lovelady, District 21 2A’s second seed, won Game 2 by a 6-2 score. Game 3 will play out at Nacogdoches High on Monday, May 2, 2023 at 6 p.m. to see who moves on to the Area Round of the Texas UIL Softball Playoffs.
Game 1 saw Lovelady take an early 1-0 run lead when Haven Prager tripled and scored in the top of the first inning after a single by Morgan Womach.
Shelbyville gained their first lead in the bottom of the third inning when Kylie Snell and Jayleigh Jones scored on a double to centerfield, by teammate Carsey Lovell, which gave SHS a 2-1 run advantage.
The Lady Lions tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning when Haven Prager hit a solo homerun over the leftfield fence.
The difference in the game proved to be a rally in the top seventh inning which saw Carsey Lovell, Taylor Jones, and Kara Jones score to give Shelbyville a 5-2 lead which held up till game’s end.
Lanie Bass struck out 9 Lion’s batters and walked 6 during the Dragon’s win.
Game 2 saw Lovelady take a 5-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning. Shelbyville earned their first run in the top of the sixth frame when Lanie Bass reached base on a single and then her pinch runner scored on an Emily Pharris single to leftfield. SHS trailed 5-1 runs. Kara Jones scored the Lady Dragon’s second run to cut the LHS lead to 5-2 later in the inning when a teammate grounded out.
Lady Lion Scout Lovell scored the game’s final run in the top of the seventh inning after singling and coming home on another base hit by Prager. The game’s final score was Lions 6 Dragons 2.
