The Mansfield Lady Tigers are set to take on the Waxahachie Lady Indians on Friday afternoon in a quarterfinals matchup. This meeting will be the third time the two teams have faced off this season. Before the athletes hit the pitch, let's take a look at how they got there.
Mansfield:
With a 77% win percentage, Mansfield has posted an 18-5-1 overall record (10-3-1 in district). Three losses (against Waxahachie and Lake Ridge) in district play had the Lady Tigers sitting in the No. 2 spot in their district- just behind Lake Ridge (12-1).
Mansfield is coming off of a huge 2-1 win in overtime against a tough Rockwall squad. The Lady Tigers have outscored their opponents by 96 points and have shown incredible strength all season with a drive to continue towards a state title.
Waxahachie:
Waxahachie comes into the match on a six-game win streak after a 1-0 shut-out win over Mesquite Horn on Tuesday. With an 82% win percentage and a 19-3-3 overall record (9-3-2 in district), the Lady Indians have fought for bragging rights all season- finishing third in their district.
The Lady Indians have held their opponents to only 25 points all season and have continuously shown defensive toughness matched with offensive strength in multiple shut-out wins through district play over teams like Waco (5-0 and 9-0), Cedar Hill (2-0), DeSoto (7-0 and 5-0), and more. Their only losses have come against a strong district rival in Lake Ridge and Waco Midway.
What To Expect:
The teams have met twice before this season with both matches going in Waxahachie's favor. Their first meeting was in February where the Lady Indians topped the Lady Tigers 2-1. The second meeting was in March when the Lady Tigers fell 1-0 to the Lady Indians. It's safe to assume that Mansfield might have the chip on their shoulder that it takes to defeat Waxahachie in a third meeting. Mansfield fans can expect the Lady Tigers to start and finish strong regardless of the outcome. Waxahachie has been consistent all season, so fans should expect them to come in strong and ready to fight for their goal.
The game is set for 2 p.m. on Friday at Midlothian ISD Stadium.
Photo courtesy of Richardson softball coach Courtney Sims
