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The Bastrop Lady Bears’ softball season came to an end after falling 2-1 in a three-game bi-district playoff series against the Hendrickson Hawks.
Game one
Bastrop opened the series with a dominant 14-2 run-rule victory over Hendrickson, appearing to take control early.
A f ter the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, the Lady Bears immediately responded. Bastrop scored three runs in the bottom half, drawing consecutive bases- loaded walks before senior Laicey Sullivent delivered an RBI single to put them ahead 3-2.
Bastrop retired the side in order in the second and added four more runs. Senior Bryleigh Fawcett sparked the inning with a two-RBI double to make it 5-2, and the Lady Bears capitalized on two Hendrickson errors to extend the lead to 7-2.
Bastrop broke the game open in the third with RBI singles from senior Bailey Merritt and junior Madison Perez, then added another run on an error to push the lead to 10-2.
The Lady Bears capped the scoring with a fourrun fourth inning, highlighted by a solo home run from junior Lanie Coy and a sacrifice fly.
S ophomor e El l a Griesenbeck earned the win, pitching five innings while allowing two runs and recording two strikeouts.
Game two
Game two proved to be the opposite story, as Hendrickson responded with a 16-2 run-rule win to even the series.
Bastrop struck first, taking a 1-0 lead on Merritt’s RBI single in the top of the first inning. However, Hendrickson tied it immediately with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half.
After Bastrop went down in order in the second, Hendrickson plated four runs in the bottom half to grab a 5-1 lead.
Fawcett delivered Bastrop’s final run of the game with an RBI single in the third to make it 5-2, but the Hawks blew the game open with an 11-run fourth inning, aided by four walks from the Lady Bears’ pitching staff.
Griesenbeck took the loss, pitching three innings and allowing six runs. Molleigh Goertz came on in relief but struggled with control.
Game three
Bastrop’s offense stalled in the decisive game three, falling 8-0 to Hendrickson.
The Lady Bears managed just three hits in the contest, two from Merritt and one from sophomore Jessa Clay, finishing 3-for-25 at the plate.
Walks once again haunted Bastrop, as two consecutive free passes in the top of the first inning led to a two-run frame for Hendrickson. After Bastrop went down in order in the second, the Hawks seized full momentum with a fourrun third inning, scoring on a single and two errors to make it 6-0.
Goertz took the loss, pitching two innings and allowing seven runs while striking out one.
Despite the early playoff exit, the Lady Bears finished the season as co-district champions — the first district title in program history — after posting a 13-1 district record.
