Softball: Best of Times and the Worst of Times
It was the ‘Best’ of times and it was the ‘Worst’ of time, for
Short Stop Vicky Henderson
the Canyon Lake Hawks in what turned out to be their last game of the season in a loss to Navarro Panthers, 5-4 in extra innings at Huber Ranch in Seguin.
“This was a tough one to lose,” Head Coach John Gallagher started. “We came in with a lot of confidence….we were a little tight….we had a good comeback…but we stranded too many runners.”
The Hawks found it hard to get any offense going and eventually found themselves down after a four run inning by Navarro in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Canyon Lake had the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, but could not capitalize when Brittney Schoettle started the inning with the Hawk’s first hit of the game.
After Kelsey Ahrens grounded into a fielders choice leaving two runners on base. Vicky Henderson loaded the bases next with a walk, giving Mary Jordan a chance, but a first ball hit to the first baseman quickly ended the inning.
The hangover of not scoring had Canyon Lake in a funk when with two outs and only one run in, the Panthers scored two runs after an error which opened the floodgates for the big inning.
Catcher Briana Young
Navarro scored four runs and seemed to have things under control as the Hawks could not find any rhythm in consistency in reaching base.
Canyon Lake did threaten in the next inning with two walks, but bad base running helped Navarro with only needing two outs to end that inning.
The Hawks were looking lethargic at the plate as the team had only mustered one hit up to the last inning.
Schoettle once again answered the bell with a single to right field to give some hope to the Hawks.
Ahrens got a free pass with a four pitch walk when next batter, pinch hitter Lillie Sander, loaded the bases with CL’s third hit of the contest.
After a strikeout, the top of the batting order and Jordan came to bat and once again hit the first ball thrown which allowed Navarro to throw out Schoettle trying to score from third.
With two outs and nothing to show for a great year, McKenna Beseda sauntered to the plate and reached base on an error by Navarro’s third baseman.
Ahrens and Sander both scored while Beseda was chugging around the bases like a freight train.
“I was trying to hold her up,” John Gallagher said. “But she kept on going…she had seen the ball get past the catcher so she thought she could make it.”
Make it she did, with a head first slide into home to tie the score with two outs and giving hope to the Hawks.
“I was praying as I was running around the bases,” Beseda said reverently. “When I saw Gallagher (Coach), put up the hold sign, I saw the ball pop out and I just had to go for it.”
This was the ‘Best’ of times as Canyon Lake had not had a come back like this the entire season.
On commenting on Beseda’s score, Romero was on deck
Senior Missy Romero
and exclaimed, “I could not even think…Coach told her to stop, but she kept going!”
The bottom of the eight inning, another thrown out base runner at the hands of Briana Young. The out was important, in that, the next Panther batter had a hit which would of ended the game.
“I knew she was going,” Catcher Young said.
Both pitchers had hit the three digit pitch count and were tiring as you could see many of their pitches were missing the strike zone as the ninth inning approached.
Henderson had her first extra base hit of the year when she hit her ball over the first baseman down the line…the ball reached the wall as Henderson raced to third standing.
The Hawks had two chances to score, but once again, it was the ‘Worst’ of times as Canyon Lake could not capitalize.
Navarro started their half of the inning with a strikeout.
It was Senior Missy Romero’s last strikeout as a Hawk. The next Panther had a solid two strike hit to left field and then a passed ball allowed that runner to advance.
After a fielders choice for the second out, that same Navarro runner raced to third.
One pitch later, a squeeze play with two outs, turned out to be a brilliant play as the Panther from third base rushed home when Ahrens throw to first was late, scoring the winning run.
It was the ‘Worst’ of times for the Hawks as they did not leave anything on the field in their quest to win the game.
The team is filled with younger players and only two Seniors that will not answer the first pitch for next season.
Freshman Kelsey Ahrens
That inexperience played a big role in not allowing Canyon Lake not making the next round…but at the same time, is was those young players that learned a wealth of wisdom for the coming years.
But those same young players also put Canyon Lake in a position to claim a playoff spot.
“The girls were mentally young,” Coach Gallagher closed. “It takes playing together and lots of reps.”
Jordan and Romero will certainly be hard to replace, but the Hawks needed to find replacements to last year’s Seniors and did an admirable job.
“I told the team to cherish each moment because it will go quick,” Romero closed. “I can’t believe I graduate in a month and had the privileged to be with these girls for one and two years.”
The fans and players were privileged to watch a young lady (Missy Romero) set high standards for Canyon Lake’s next pitcher in the circle.
More strikeouts than innings pitched and also ending her last campaign with a .429 batting average and with almost every record to be had by this Softball program.
Who would of thought Katy Payne could be replaced with such a competent player such as Briana Young behind the plate.
“They (the team) were always there for me,” Young fielded as she answered the question on how she adapted so easily for this team.
These are the ‘Worst’ of times, but at the same time, Canyon Lake will be able to look back as time marches on to claim many more heights in the years to come.
“This is my family,” Beseda said fondly. “We are working hard and we are going to give 110%.”
Congratulations and The ReSporter looks forward on seeing how the next season will transpire and awaits more ‘Best’ of times.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Canyon Lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 4 1
Navarro 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 5 8 3
LOB: Nav-5; CL-7. DP-CL-1. SB-Beseda (1). Triple-Henderson.
Two outs when winning run scored.
Name AB R H BI 2B 3B HR BB SO Misc
Mary Jordan 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
McKenna Beseda 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 sb, roe
Missy Romero 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Briana Young 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
LiliMae Daily 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
PH Emma Broussard 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Brittney Schoettle 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 roe
Kelsey Ahrens 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Cassidy Riccio 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
PH Lillie Sander 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vicky Henderson 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1
35 4 4 1 0 1 0 4 9
Pitching IP R ER H BB SO NP W L
Missy Romero 8.2 5 1 8 2 11 124 12 10
Season Stats (two games missing)
Name AB R H BI 2B 3B HR BB SO Ave OBP
Missy Romero 56 26 24 18 7 0 2 15 4 .429 .549
Lillie Sander 27 7 10 2 1 0 0 1 4 .370 .393
McKenna Beseda 63 25 20 7 3 0 0 10 14 .317 .411
Briana Young 54 3 17 20 5 0 0 13 7 .315 .464
Vicky Henderson 46 9 12 2 0 1 0 8 17 .261 .370
Christine Rider 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 .250 .250
Caroline Jordan 64 19 15 4 1 1 0 9 8 .234 .364
Brittney Schoettle 23 4 5 0 1 0 0 3 3 .217 .307
Emma Broussard 38 8 7 7 0 0 1 3 12 .184 .279
LiliMae Daily 48 5 8 4 0 1 0 1 5 .167 .184
Cassidy Riccio 42 8 7 7 1 0 0 7 17 .167 .300
Kristin Seiffert 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 .143 .454
Kelsey Ahrens 43 5 5 7 4 0 0 5 13 .116 .255
Lisa Garza 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .333
Elizabeth Henderson 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 .000 .125
528 123 133 78 23 3 3 80 114 .252 .364
Pitching IP R ER H BB SO ERA NP W L
Missy Romero 133.0 57 20 80 26 166 1.05 1239 12 10
Kelsey Ahrens 6.0 6 3 4 3 4 3.50 63 1 0
Brianna Young 4.0 0 0 0 3 5 0.00 xx 1 0
Megan Blackburn 3.2 4 0 1 0 2 0.00 xx 0 0
146.2 67 23 85 32 177 1.10 14 10
Misc. SB Sac ROE HPB SF
Jordan 10 3 2 4 0
Beseda 18 3 7 0 0
Romero 5 0 1 0 1
Young 0 1 2 2 0
Broussard 1 0 3 2 0
Daily 0 2 5 0 0
Riccio 0 3 3 1 0
V Henderson 4 3 1 0 0
Ahrens 1 1 2 3 0
Seiffert 0 0 0 1 0
Schoettle 0 0 4 0 0
Sander 1 0 0 0 0
Rider 0 0 1 0 0
40 16 31 13 1
