Lady Vandals win 15-13 to reach 3A title game
Published 11:22 pm Thursday, May 29, 2014
- Van defeated Snyder 15-13 on Thursday in the Class 3A state semifinals in Austin. The Lady Vandals play LaGrange in the championship game Saturday morning. (Jeff Schaffer | CBS-19)
AUSTIN — The Van Lady Vandals will play for a state championship on Saturday.
Van banged out 16 hits and then held on for a wild 15-13 win over Snyder on Thursday in a Class 3A softball state tournament semifinal at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
The Lady Vandals (31-5-1) advance to meet La Grange (39-2) in the state title game at 10 a.m. Saturday. La Grange defeated Huffman Hargrave, 4-1.
Snyder ended its season at 36-6.
The teams set a new record for most runs (28) scored in a 3A state tournament game.
Autumn McKinney had an inside-the-park home run to help lead Van to the win.
Defensively, center fielder Hallee Carter threw out Snyder’s Hailey Morris at the plate to end the game. Catcher Haleigh Moore put the tag on and the Lady Vandals started celebrating. Van entered the final frame leading 15-10 before the Lady Tigers put up three runs. But their rally ended on Carter’s throw and Moore’s tag.
Ashlin Lovett, Kylee Moore and McKinney all had three hits and three RBIs in the slugfest.
Carter and Nicole Gandy added two hits apiece, while Haleigh Moore, Sierra Nichols and Jordain Castillo had one hit each.
Lovett and Carter contributed triples for the Lady Vandals, while Kylee Moore and Haleigh Moore hit doubles.
The Lady Tigers had 18 hits, including a 4-for-5 performance by Taylor Hinojos. Naudia Gonzales and Adrianna Hernandez were both 3 for 5.
Lindzi Clemmer had three RBIs.
This is Van’s third appearance at the state tournament, while Snyder was appearing in its first.
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Van 15, Snyder 13
Van 105 702 0 — 15 16 8
Snyder 042 040 3 — 13 18 3
Nicole Gandy, Autumn McKinney (3) and Haleigh Moore. Adrianna Hernandez, Taylor Hinojos (4), Hernandez (4) and Alexis Prouix.
W – McKinney (16-3), L – Hinojos (12-3).
2B – V: Kylee Moore, Haleigh Moore. S: Hinojos, Shadye Millican, Hailey Morris, Hernandez. 3B – V: Hallee Carter, Ashlin Lovett. HR – V: McKinney.
SF – S: Lindzi Clemmer.
SB – V: Lovett. S: Gabby Sanchez.
RECORDS — Van 31-5-1, Snyder 36-6.