ABILENE – The Bangs Lady Dragons rallied with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held off Hawley in its final at-bat to capture Game 3 of a Class 2A Division I Region I softball bi-district series, 8-7, Saturday at Abilene Christian University.

After winning Game 1 by a 17-7 count Friday, Bangs (22-7) dropped Game 2 Saturday as Hawley scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend the series, 7-6.

In Game 3, with Hawley in front 6-4 heading to the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Dragons put four runs on the board to grab an 8-6 edge.

Mattisyn Taylor, Stormy Stringer and Aubree Buford started the Bangs fifth with singles in succession to trim the deficit to 6-5. With two outs, Cheyenne Rush walked and Justice Baker reached on a bunt single, coupled with a Hawley error, that allowed Buford and Rush to score and push the Lady Dragons in front, 7-6. Abby Wolf followed with an RBI triple to plate Baker with a vital insurance run for an 8-6 advantage.

In the top of the seventh, Hawley began the frame with a leadoff triple and scored on an RBI ground out. A two-out single was left stranded on the bases when the Lady Dragons recorded the final out.

Bangs finished with 13 hits – two each by Rush, Wolf, Buford and Julianna Ethridge and one apiece by Baker, Taylor, Stringer, Neeley Bradley and Adalynne Stephens. Wolf drove in three runs while Rush, Baker, Taylor and Buford each contributed an RBI.

In the circle, Wolf pitched all seven innings and gave up seven runs on 12 hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

In Saturday’s initial contest, Bangs trailed 5-2 heading to the sixth inning, but tallied two runs in both the top of the sixth and seventh to grab a 6-5 edge. Hawley then scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to draw even in the series.

The Lady Dragons picked up seven hits – two each by Bradley, Ethridge and Taylor, and one by Rush. Ethridge homered and drove in four while Rush and Buford also contributed RBIs.

Wolf allowed seven runs on 17 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in the circle.

Bangs moves on to face Forsan (13-9) in second-round playoff action next weekend, a rematch of the 2023 regional semifinals where the Lady Dragons’ season ended.