JASPER – Showing true grit and determination, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bears will be heading to the Class 4A Region III semifinals after they blanked the Huntington Lady Devilettes 7-0 and 5-0 in Games Two and Three in the regional quarterfinals at Jasper High School Saturday.
It was a totally different Lady Bear squad from the one that fell to Huntington in Game One 9-4 on Thursday.
“I knew the kids could bounce back,” said LC-M coach Dena Adkins. “We got some clutch hits early in Game Two and we felt like we could wear them down. Our depth really helped us and the kids certainly brought the bats after such a tough night on Thursday.”
LC-M (24-8) will now move on to face top-ranked Liberty Hill (33-1), who went three games to defeat Robinson. After absorbing their first loss of the season Friday night, Liberty Hill responded with a win Saturday.
In Game One, ace Brianna Frenzel tossed a complete-game five hitter while striking out nine and walking one.
“Bri (Frenzel) was on today and once we got the lead, she was amazing and just buckled down and threw strikes,” said Adkins. “Huntington can really hit the ball, so it was huge to come out of here with two shutouts.”
Renna Toomey, who had not thrown since a District 22-4A game against West Orange-Stark, got the job done in Game Three. Toomey went the distance, allowing a mere four hits while fanning three and got the Lady Devilettes to ground out 17 times.
“Renna, that kid is such a competitor,” said Adkins. “We have a lot of faith in her. She basically went out there, threw strikes and dared them to hit. Our defense was outstanding and they only got four hits.”
In Game Two the Lady Bears got it going in the first inning off Huntington pitcher Raegyn Parrish, scoring two runs.
Frenzel and Toomey singled and Jenna James reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Ashley Short plated Frenzel with an infield single and James would score on a wild pitch.
The Lady Bears tacked on a run in the top of the fifth frame.
Toomey had a one-out double to left centerfield went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a wild pitch.
LC-M got some insurance in the top of the seventh.
James had a leadoff single to left, Toomey reached on an error and Short was hit by a pitch to load the bases up.
JoAnna Henry promptly belted a two-run double off the leftfield wall.
Morgan Weaver walked to load the bases. Madison Murdock sengt a RBI single up the middle to make it 6-0 and Olivia Leavings eventually scored Henry with a sacrifice fly to left centerfield.
Parrish, who tossed a one-hitter, allowed 10 LC-M hits while striking out five, walking three and hitting three batters.
James, Toomey and Weaver each had three hits for the Lady Bears.
Parrish had two hits for the Lady Devilettes, who left the bases loaded in the second inning and two runners in scoring position in the fourth.
In Game Three, the Lady Bears struck for a run off Huntington starter Callie Evett in the top of the first.
Murdock drew a walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Leavings. Frenzel followed with a single to right and James stroked a RBI single to left to score Murdock.
LC-M went up 2-0 in the top of the second.
Short had a single past short and went to third on back to back wild pitches and scored off a Jonee Villanueva single up the middle.
The Lady Bears scored another run in the top of the fifth.
James drew a one-out walk went to second on a wild pitch. Toomey reached on an infield single and James scored off a Henry RBI groundout.
LC-M added two runs in the sixth.
Weaver had a leadoff single to right and Murdock had a one-out single to left and Frenzel capped the day with a two-run double.
The Lady Bears finished with 10 hits as Murdock, Frenzel and Short each had two hits.