The Woodlands had two of their possible three state tournament opponents covered after winning the Region II-5A softball finals in two games on Friday night in Waco.
The Woodlands coach Richard Jorgensen traveled to Pearland to scout Game 3 between Deer Park and Bellaire, two teams the Lady Highlanders met during tournament play in February.
TWHS assistant coach Tim Borths, meanwhile, made the trip to San Antonio to catch Game 3 of the Region IV-5A finals pitting San Antonio Southwest and San Marcos.
Deer Park and San Antonio Southwest won one-run games, both in dramatic fashion, and on Sunday, The Woodlands learned it would face San Antonio Southwest in semifinal play at 6 p.m. Friday in Austin.
“It worked out pretty well, winning our series in two games,” Jorgensen said. “We were the first ones in (the state tournament). The other ones all went three games. So we could get a chance to see some of them before we got there.”
The Woodlands (38-3) had the best record of the four Class 5A teams in the tournament, followed by Lubbock Coronado (36-4), which put them in opposite semifinals. A coin flip was determined to settle the final two spots in the bracket.
Coronado will face Deer Park (37-6) in the first game at 3 p.m. on Friday, followed by the Lady Highlanders’ game with Southwest (34-11) at 6.
“I guess the advantage of playing at 6 is that it’ll be closer to our normal routine (for a night game),” Jorgensen said. “Austin is hot this time of year so it’s going to be warmer for the 3 o’clock game. I’m not sure it makes that much of a difference.”
Deer Park is making its third consecutive appearance in the state tournament. The Lady Deer won the Class 5A state championship in 2012, one year after The Woodlands captured the title.
“Deer Park has a great program,” Jorgensen said. “They’re gritty, a tough team.”
The Lady Highlanders defeated Deer Park 5-3 in the `Missouri City tournament in February.
“It was really early in the season when we played them,” Jorgensen said. “You can get a look at their players, but you don’t get this far without being a great team.”
Bellaire bolted to a 4-0 lead in the first inning before Deer Park tied the game with four runs in the third. Caitlin Plocheck’s RBI single in the seventh inning won the game for Deer Park.
Three TWHS players -- pitcher Caitlin Bartsch, second baseman Sidney Salmans and outfielder Amy Cimera -- were freshmen on the Lady Highlanders team that won the state championship in 2011. The Woodlands reached the regional finals in each of the next two seasons but could not get to the state tournament.
“The kids are pumped about the chance to go to state,” Jorgensen said. “It’s a good group of kids; they work hard, they play hard.”
San Antonio Southwest defeated San Marcos 8-7 in Game 3 of their regional series. Elizabeth Phillips had a big game for Southwest, delivering a two-run triple in the sixth and the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth.
Phillips, an outfielder, also threw out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the seventh, when a run would have meant San Marcos was advancing to state.
Jorgensen said he would give his team Memorial Day off before returning to the practice field on Tuesday. The Lady Highlanders will leave for Austin after practice on Thursday.
“We’re going to Westlake (High School) on Friday morning to work out,” Jorgensen said. “We play in their tournament every year and they have a great facility.”
The Class 5A championship game will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Source: southwest - Google News http://ift.tt/1pqdGj8
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