Despite making its first UIL State Tournament appearance, Brewer came out swinging. Kamren Pride set the tone in the top of the first with a three-run home run off the left-field foul pole, giving the Lady Bears an early 3-0 lead.
Lake Creek, however, responded behind the poise of pitcher Sara Wiggins, who exuded the “unbothered” mentality head coach Candyce Carter often attributes to her Wichita State-bound senior. Wiggins and the defense settled in, allowing just two unearned runs—both in the fifth on a fielding error—the rest of the way.
Lake Creek Sr. RHP Sara Wiggins (Wichita State signee)Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
The Lions chipped away in the second, with an RBI triple from Gracee Brewer followed by a sacrifice fly from Miranda Orso to cut it to 3-2. In the third, Wiggins delivered a two-RBI double to give Lake Creek the lead, with Laney Galloway adding a groundout RBI for insurance.
Brewer tied it at 5-5 in the fifth, but senior Madalyn Davis scored the decisive run later that inning on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Wiggins.
Davis, who will soon continue her playing career at North Carolina, was named the 5A Division II State MVP after going 2-for-3 at the plate, scoring two runs, and recording two stolen bases in the win.
Senior Madalyn Davis (North Carolina) is presented with the 5A Division II State Tournament Most Valuable Player AwardMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
Reflecting on the performance, she credited the team’s resilience.
“Before the game, we knew that we’d be facing some adversity,” Davis said. “So, being able to overcome the situation and rely on each other to come through and win the game was really awesome.”
At the conclusion of the celebration in front of a sold-out crowd, head coach Candyce Carter—who was quickly doused with a water cooler by juniors Morgan Winn and Bella Kirby—led Lake Creek (40-1) to back-to-back state titles. In the process, the win also marked the program’s fourth state championship in the span of just five seasons.
“I think composure is something we talk about a lot, and these girls have a ton of it and a ton of grit,” Carter said. “The playoffs really played a big role in preparing us for this moment. I’m just really proud of them and can’t say enough great things about how much I love this group and what they mean to me—especially the nine seniors leaving as back-to-back state champions.”
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
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