HALLSVILLE — Spring Hill jumped on top of White Oak early, repelled a comeback attempt and added a couple of late insurance runs to finish a two-game sweep, 6-3, in a Class 3A Region II quarterfinal sweep Friday at Ladycat Field.
Spring Hill led 3-0 after two innings, but White Oak plated two runs on three hits and three Lady Panther errors to cut the lead to 3-2 through three frames. Spring Hill, however, added one in run apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before quelling White Oak's seventh-inning threat that created only one run. Leading 6-2 with one out and White Oak runners at second and third, Spring Hill pitcher Kayla Williams induced Haley Walters into an RBI groundout for the second out. Lady Panther first baseman Kaeli Baker then zipped the ball across the diamond to third, where the tag was applied to Jessica Warren in a close play for the series final out.
Williams pitched her second complete game of the series, striking out four and walking only one. Williams batted 1-for-4 with an RBI as she finished the series 4-for-8 with four RBIs.
Friday's 5:30 p.m. start meant warmer temperatures, but Williams said the heat did not bother her much.
"It does a little bit, but with my team behind me, I'm fine," Williams said. "We were all really excited (entering the series because) White Oak's our rival."
Shannon Sanders, who was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, said the sweep had extra meaning since it came against White Oak. Williams and Sanders said the key to advancing further will be their mental approach.
"Staying positive, not getting down on ourselves when we make mistakes," said Sanders, who reached base in all four of her Friday plate appearances. Sanders finished the series 3-for-7 with a double, two RBIs and five runs.
Spring Hill faces Celina or Royse City in next week's Region II semifinal round.
Spring Hill's fast start
Sanders led off the game by reaching on an error, and Jessica Fudge moved her down with her fourth successful bunt of the series. Another White Oak error plated Sanders, and courtesy runner Katie Tadlock scored on Kaeli Baker's one-out, RBI double to right-center field to give Spring Hill a 2-0 lead through one.
Spring Hill added a run in the second when Fudge's infield hit ricocheted off White Oak pitcher Haley Walters' leg, scoring Sha' McDowell for a 3-0 edge.
White Oak third
Kristin Secord singled to set up Morgan Wilson's RBI single to right. Wilson moved to second on an error, and two batters later Warren's infield single drove in Wilson to cut Spring Hill's lead to 3-2.
insurance runs
Fudge knocked in Sanders on a fourth-inning bloop single to right, pushing Spring Hill's lead to 4-2. In the fifth, Allison Brown's RBI double down the third-base line drove in Baker for a 5-2 advantage.
Williams rounded out Spring Hill's scoring with an RBI single to right-center field that scored McDowell for a 6-2 lead.
Notable
Juliana Tuel, Secord, Wilson and Warren each collected two hits for White Oak. ... Walters pitched the first two innings before Wilson came in to pitch the final five.
