Burnet softball beats Gatesville to take the bi-district series lead
CAPTION: Burnet pitcher Presely Crawford led the way to the Lady Dawgs’ first playoff win this season and came within one out of a perfect game. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
The Burnet High School softball team defeated Gatesville 1-0 April 27 in game one of the bi-district series.
Game two is set for 7 p.m. Friday, April 28, in Gatesville.
The Lady Dawgs scored all the runs they needed in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lead-off batter Journey Denton reached first on a fielding error by the first baseman. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by McKenzie Davis and to third when the pitcher picked up a ball hit by Maddi Moise and could only throw to first.
Camrynn Guthrie hit to the second baseman, who made a poor throw to first for the inning’s second error, allowing Denton’s run to be the difference in the contest.
“I can’t remember the last time we had a 1-0 game,” Burnet head coach Hailey Wooten said. “We’re used to putting runs on the board. We’re used to putting runners on the bases and hits.”
The game was a pitchers’ duel between Burnet’s Presely Crawford and Gatesville’s Madison Hester.
For five innings, the two matched each other out for out, though Crawford’s strikeouts were staggering. By the end of the game, she struck out 14, including six out of seven in a row in the first, second and third innings. She had a perfect game intact for 6 2/3 innings. But the 21st batter hit a ball off the wall at center field for a double and who ended up being Gatesville’s only base runner.
Still Crawford got the win in throwing a one-hitter and facing 22 batters.
Wooten commended the pitcher.
“For her to show up and get 14 strikeouts … shows a lot about her,” she said.
Hester allowed two hits and two walks and struck out two in five innings.
Gatesville pitcher Kallie Featherston was credited with the loss from the one unearned run in the only inning she was in the circle.
One challenge the Lady Dawgs are facing is their playoff inexperience, Wooten said.
“We’re not used to making it in the playoffs,” she said. “I think (my players) knew it was a big game. I hope we loosen up and play better. They have a lot of heart and fight. We’re a hitting team.”
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