Softball: Ladycats bury Sandies for regional semifinal crown

IOWA PARK – The No. 4 Aledo Ladycats softball team moved one step closer to its ultimate goal in dominant fashion in a winner-take-all regional semifinal against the Amarillo Lady Sandies. While senior pitcher Taylor McKean limited Amarillo to only one hit as a team, the Ladycats’ burning bats exploded for 11 runs as the Ladycats punched their ticket to the regional final with an 11-0 win in five innings.

Following an RBI double from freshman Tempe Perry in the bottom of the second inning, senior shortstop Marina Taveras blasted a three-run homer to center that increased the lead to 4-0. Poetically, Perry followed with another RBI double to make it 5-0 and Riley Marx’s RBI double pushed the advantage to 6-0. Then, Aledo used a five-run fourth inning to extend the lead to 11-0 and push Amarillo to the brink. McKean provided a picture-perfect ending to the regional semifinal bout by striking out the side for the last three outs of the game.

McKean tossed all five innings with 10 strikeouts against only one hit while Perry went 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. All three of Tempe’s hits (two doubles and one home run) were scoring hits. Junior third baseman Kyleigh Pawlak also went deep and finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Marx went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI while Taveras added her three-run homer.

The Ladycats (28-3, 12-0) will begin a best-of-three series against Birdville for the Region I crown at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at Aledo High School. Game 2 will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Birdville High School, and Game 3 will occur at noon Saturday at Kennedale High School if necessary.