Softball: Ladycats’ season concludes against national-power Melissa

In a clash of softball titans, the No. 4 Aledo Ladycats faced off against the No. 1 Melissa Lady Cardinals — top-ranked in the state and the nation — for a spot in the Class 5A Division I state title game. Melissa, who broke the national home run record this year, showed off its juggernaut status with eight runs in the first inning and was able to fend off Aledo through the seven-inning contest. The Ladycats’ season came to a close by a final score of 15-4, and Melissa moved on with a chance to claim back-to-back titles.

“As far as the season goes, I’m very proud of everything we were able to accomplish,” Ladycats head coach Heather Myers said. “It was a hard fought season, to say the least, and we saw the emotional maturity of our girls level up in a most profound way. Beating Melissa would have been incredible, but I’m more proud of the way our team never backed down. They were in the game, each and every one of them, from the first pitch to the last.”

An early grand slam put Aledo behind 6-0 with star senior Taylor McKean on the mound, and Myers substituted stellar freshman Tempe Perry. The first-year pitcher allowed two more runs to score, but she rectified that with an RBI triple in the bottom of the frame that scored two runs and trimmed the deficit to 8-2.

Through the middle innings, Aledo competed well on the defensive end — specifically senior shortstop Marina Taveras, who accounted for all three outs in the fourth inning and several more key plays throughout. Junior third baseman Kyleigh Pawlak hit a shallow RBI single to help Aledo respond to an earlier run by Melissa that put the deficit at 9-3, but Aledo could not get any closer as Melissa raced to the finish line with five runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Perry concluded her impressive freshman season by going 1-for-3 with two RBI along with 6.2 innings pitched with five strikeouts against seven hits, eight runs (two earned), and six walks. Pawlak, Kellyn Overturff, and Taveras recorded one hit and scored one run apiece. Meanwhile, Delaney Rosser produced one hit, and Addie Perry had one RBI while scoring once.

The season came to an end for the UIL bronze-medalist Ladycats (30-4, 12-0) but plenty of memories and wins were collected along the way.

“We remind them often that softball does not define them — it’s simply something they do well,” Myers said. “It’s just a game and, at the end of the day, I’m blessed to have had an opportunity to coach these amazing young women.”