Red Oak, TX – The sun was shining and the wind had calmed when the Forney Lady Jackrabbits and the Ennis Lady Lions met on the softball field in Red Oak on Saturday, May 26, 2012. With the 3 game series tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 would be traveling to Austin for the Class 4A State Softball Tournament. The stands were once again filled to capacity an hour before game time as anxious parents and fans watched the two teams warm up.
Red Oak, TX – The sun was shining and the wind had calmed when the Forney Lady Jackrabbits and the Ennis Lady Lions met on the softball field in Red Oak on Saturday, May 26, 2012. With the 3 game series tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 would be traveling to Austin for the Class 4A State Softball Tournament. The stands were once again filled to capacity an hour before game time as anxious parents and fans watched the two teams warm up.
The Forney Lady Jackrabbits were the visiting team and were up to bat first. Unfortunately the top of the 1st inning ended quickly with 3 Lady Jackrabbits taken out at 1st base. The Lady Lions stepped up to bat next and didn't have much luck either. A pop up was caught by catcher, #14 Krista Williams, this wouldn't be her last one for the night either. The 1st inning ended with no runs, as would most of the game.
The pace didn't pick up until the bottom of the 6th inning. The Ennis Lady Lions were able to get a runner on base, she was brought in by a hit from #17 Shelby Pruitt. The score was now 1-0 going into the 7th inning and the Forney Lady Jackrabbits were down to their last 3 outs.
With not many hits in the game, it was hard to imagine the Forney Lady Jackrabbits would be able to get the 2 runs necessary to win the game. #21 Jasmine Lusk and #11 Taylor Penn were able to get on base when #3 Taylor Leflore came to the plate. Leflore bunted the ball and was thought to be a for sure out as the ball was thrown to first base. Instead the first baseman dropped the ball allowing Jasmine Lusk to run home, tieing the game 1-1. With runners at 1st and 3rd, #6 Brooke McCarroll was up to bat, the Ennis Lady Lion's team decided once again to intentionally walk Brooke, loading the bases. Krista Williams was next up to bat and drove a ball into the outfield allowing Taylor Penn to run home. The Forney Lady Jackrabbits had taken the lead , 2-1, and everyone was at the edge of their seats.
The Ennis Lady Lions were now up to bat and it was up to the Lady Jackrabbits defense to shut them out. And shut them out they did. Making it look easy, the Lady Jackrabbits quickly collected the 3 outs they needed to win the game. The team and fans rushed the field to congratulate the Forney Lady Jackrabbits in beating the Ennis Lady Lions in a 3 game series, 2-1.
Senior Danielle Najera, #22 of the Forney Lady Jackrabbits, pitched a rare complete game with precision and confidence. Krista Williams said, “We were pretty confident going into the 7th inning. We kept telling each other this was our inning. After our first run in, we knew we would pull off the win.”
The Forney Lady Jackrabbits softball team will travel to Austin next weekend to play at McCombs Field at the University of Texas. This is the second straight year the Lady Jackrabbits have gone to the state tournament. The Red and Charline McCombs Field is the current home of the University of Texas Longhorn Women's Softball team.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Forney Lady Jackrabbits softball team here on inForney.com.