Hudson and Lufkin Ballparks on Saturday, May 13, 2023 –
Shelbyville and Joaquin High Schools were each well represented this weekend with both schools having teams competing in state elimination games for girls softball and boys baseball.
The Shelbyville Dragons varsity baseball team was eliminated with a 5-3 run Game 2 loss in an area round matchup with the Douglass Indians. Douglass had won Game 1 by a 3-1 score earlier this week. The best two-of-three game win will move the Indians ahead to the Texas UIL State Baseball Region III Quarterfinal Round.
The Shelby County rival Joaquin Lady Rams and Shelbyville Lady Dragons met up Saturday to compete for the same spot in the 2023 Texas UIL Softball State Softball Region III Quarterfinals. The Lady Dragons had taken Game 1 earlier in the week by a 13-8 score. Game 2 saw Shelbyville up 6-2 by the fourth inning but Joaquin tied the game at 6-6 by the bottom of the sixth inning. The Lady Rams stayed alive with a Game 2 rally which saw them win 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs. Shelbyville gained the final bragging rights however as they won Game 3 by an 8-4 final score. Shelbyville will move on to face Hawkins the winner of District 19 in next week’s Texas UIL Region III Softball Semifinal Round. Hawkins won their Region III quarterfinal match with Frankston in two straight games.
The Joaquin Rams baseball team entered their area round game with a 2-1 run Game 1 win over the Centerville Tigers. On Saturday the Rams fell to the Tigers in Game 2 by a 7-3 run score. The Rams came back to take the series by earning a 11-5 run win in Game 3. They will next face the Douglass Indians in the Texas UIL Region III Baseball Quarterfinals.
