ABILENE – One victory stands between the Bangs Lady Dragons and the Region I-2A softball semifinals thanks to Thursday’s 4-0 victory over the Hawley Lady Cats in Game 1 of a regional quarterfinals series at Abilene Cooper High School.

District 6 champion Bangs (27-4) – which pushed its win streak to 20 games with Thursday’s triumph – scored single runs in the first, second, third and sixth innings against District 7 third seed Hawley (21-11).

Abby Wolf tossed five-hit shutout in the circle for Bangs with 11 strikeouts and one walk.

Wolf was also the star of the Lady Dragons’ nine-hit offensive attack with a home run, double and a pair of RBIs. Cheyenne Rush also contributed two hits, including a double, and drove home one; Neeley Bradley doubled and knocked in a run; and Julianna Ethridge, Jadyn Miller, Bailey Mendieta and Jordan Valdez each singled for Bangs.

Bangs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Rush led off with a single and scored on Wolf’s one-out RBI double – the only run the Lady Dragons would require.

In the second inning, Mendieta singled with two outs, Valdez then reached on an error – one of two by Hawley – and Rush doubled home Mendieta for a 2-0 edge.

The Lady Dragons’ third inning featured a lead-off home run to right field by Wolf, extending the advantage to 3-0.

Then in the sixth, Rush reached on a two-out double ahead of an RBI double to center field by Bradley, which capped the scoring.

Games 2 and 3, if needed, of the series, have been moved up to a noon start time Friday back at Abilene Cooper. The series winner will face either Forsan or Ralls next weekend in the regional semifinals. Ralls defeated Forsan, 10-8, in Game 1 Thursday with Games 2 and 3, if needed, to follow Friday in Lamesa.