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No. 1 and Done: Lovejoy eliminated by Pilot Point in rain-soaked regional quarterfinal
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
PROSPER -- Pilot Point managed just three hits in Friday's one-game regional quarterfinal softball series against Lovejoy, but it was the last of those hits that broke the game open and ended the season of the No. 1 team in the state, 4-1.
"Pilot Point was the better team tonight, they just were," said Amanda Douglas, Lovejoy head coach. "But at the same time, you never want to leave a game, especially a playoff game, with any regrets and I think quite a few of our girls have some regrets right now because they didn't play their best game."
Brittany Lewis looked like she had her best game in the circle for most of the evening, despite a constant drizzle.
"We were trying to tag the runner out before she made it to second on that error," Douglas said. "That really was not a typical type of mistake for us."
Pilot Point plated the first runner of the game shortly thereafter when Preslee Gallaway was plunked. Not only did that make it 1-0, it kept the bases loaded with Lady Bearcats.
But not for long.
Lewis registered a K for the second out of the inning and was primed to escape further damage with an 0-2 count on the next hitter. That is until Abby Watson belted the ensuing pitch off the wall in left center, clearing the bases and giving Pilot Point a 4-0 lead heading into the top of the seventh. Watson had two of the Lady Bearcats' three hits.
"Obviously it's not the spot you want to be in," Douglas said, "but our lineup, especially the top part, had hit well all game and I never give up on this team."
That faith proved well placed as Lovejoy loaded the bases with one out following hits by freshman Danielle Brochu, sophomore Autumn Keefer and a walk to junior Ginger Hervey. Junior Sammi Curry then hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1 and bring the tying run to the plate with two outs.
No more runs would materialize though as Pilot Point pitcher Skylar Cagle finished her complete game by inducing a pop up. That secured a 4-1 Lady Bearcats win and a measure of revenge after the team lost to the Lady Leopards in the regional quarterfinals last season.
Lovejoy stranded two runners in the seventh, a theme of the night as the Lady Leopards left seven total runners on with four in scoring position.
"I don't think we executed our game plan," Douglas said. "We were wanting to go after strikes and I think there were some calls that got to the girls and threw them off.
"But I'm also blaming myself and wondering if maybe we should have bunted or done something different in certain situations. I'm kicking myself for not going with my gut."
Outside of the seventh, Lovejoy's best opportunity came in the fourth.
Following a Pilot Point error, Lovejoy loaded the bases with singles from senior Brooke Puckett, the Lone Lady Leopard with multiple hits Friday, and freshman Amanda Conner. But Cagle, as she did expertly all evening, was able to get out of the jam.
Doing so again in the seventh gave Pilot Point the upset win over Lovejoy, which had been ranked as the No. 1 Class 3A team in the state for the bulk of the season.
It also ended the varsity careers of Frye and Puckett.
"It can be difficult to be the leaders when there are only two seniors, but Annie and Brooke stepped up and did a good job with it," Douglas said. "In the top of the seventh they didn't wait on the coaches to try and fire the team up, it was those two walking around saying, 'you got this, you can do this,' which is always great to see."
Frye and Puckett won't be back next season, but the rest of the team will be as the Lady Leopards move up to Class 4A.
"Obviously this is a disappointing loss," Douglas said, "but we've got all but two girls returning, and I think we will learn from this loss, so we'll be back."
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