Hallsville Lady Bobcats Ballpark on Friday, May 18, 2023 –
The Shelbyville Lady Dragons varsity softball team ended a 21-game run for the Hudson Lady Hawks with a 5-3 run Game 1 win on Thursday. Shelbyville then eliminated Hawkins by defeating them by a 9-1 run score in Game 2 on Friday. The Lady Hawks came into the series ranked number 7 in the state by the Texas Girls Coaches Association poll. Their season ends with a 23-4 overall record. Shelbyville is now 25-14-1 for the season.
Shelbyville jumped out to a 1-0 run lead when sophomore Kylie Snell tripled off the leftfield wall to lead off the top of the first inning. Soon after she scored on a ball which passed behind the Lady Hawks catcher. Snell, Carsey Lovell, Taylor Jones, and pinch runner Bre Chambers each scored during a rally in the third inning and gave Shelbyville a 5-0 run lead. The fifth inning saw Gracie Leach reach base on an infield hit and score when Jayleigh Jones singled to rightfield. This gave SHS a 6-0 advantage.
Hawkins scored their only run of the contest when Londyn Wilson doubled to leftfield and drove in Jordyn Warren to put the game’s score at 6-1 in the sixth inning. A Lady Dragons rally in the top of the seventh inning saw Emily Pharris, Gracie Leach, and Jayleigh Jones each score to give Shelbyville a 9-1 lead going into the final at bat for Hawkins. Shelbyville pitcher sophomore Lanie Bass struck out the first two batters she faced in the final inning and freshman teammate Kenadee Lathan recorded the final out on a groundout to help end the game. Bass struck out 10 batters in Game 2 and allowed only 2 walks for the day. She pitched the entire game. Hawkins pitchers Trinity Hawkins and Kalyn Ellison teamed up to strike out 5 and walked 3. Shelbyville hit safely 12 time and Hawkins earned 4 hits for the day.
Shelbyville Head Coach Ryan Mason’s staff and team have moved into new territory as the team will head to the Texas UIL Region III Softball Finals next week to face the number 2 ranked (35-2) Como-Pickton Lady Eagles. Mason moved up to take the helm in 2021 after a stint as an assistant at Joaquin. Assisting Mason are coaches Kerry Stone and Christian Clark.
