ABILENE – A day after the two teams combined for 29 runs, a single run scratched across the plate in the first inning was all the offense generated as the Bangs Lady Dragons’ season reached its conclusion with a 1-0 loss to the Forsan Lady Buffs Friday in Game 2 of a Region I-2A softball semifinals playoff series at Abilene Christian University.
District 7 champion Bangs (28-6) – which scored 13 runs the night before and averaged 10.2 runs over the first 33 games this season – was kept off the scoreboard for the first time in 2023 as Forsan (28-8) pitcher Maddie Roach hurled a five-hitter with two strikeouts, one walk, and five base runners left stranded.
The Lady Dragons, who saw their 21-game win streak halted in a 16-13 loss to the Lady Buffs Thursday night, did not put more than one runner on base until the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, Neeley Bradley singled off Forsan third baseman Kelcey Zubiate’s glove and Abby Wolf followed with a base hit up the middle. But Julianna Ethridge’s line drive to left field was snagged by Forsan’s Ary’anna Mealing just before it hit the turf for the final out of the frame.
With one out in the top of the seven inning, Sierra Lorah drew the only walk for Bangs, then Emily Baker hit a grounder off Forsan’s Zubiate at third that deflected to shortstop Lybertee Rodriguez, who made the throw to K’Dynce Speck at second base for the force out. After a disputed call, Lorah was ruled out at second base for the second out. Bailey Mendieta then popped out to second base, ending the game.
Bangs also received a one-out single from Bradley in the first inning, a two-out single from Jordan Valdez in the third, and a two-out double from Ethridge in the fourth.
For the Lady Buffs, Rodriguez drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first inning and K’Leigh Williams followed with a single to the right side. Zubiate then roped an RBI single up the middle, and Rodriguez beat the throw to the plate for the only run of the game.
Wolf, the Bangs pitcher, went on to strand six base runners while yielding six hits with one walk and one hit batter in six innings of work.
Forsan will face either Stamford or Colorado City in the Region I-2A championship round next weekend, with a berth in the state tournament at stake. Stamford won Game 1 of that series, 2-0, Thursday night, and Games 2 and 3, if needed, will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday.
