We can expect a lot from the team with a lot of returners that earned accolades last year: Junior Christian Hernandez and Senior Cole Sixkiller were first-team all-district, Senior Francisco Domenech was second-team all-district, and all-district honorable mentions went to Andre Huereca and Senior Mariano Esnayra. Coach Gilbert Villarreal also holds Fabrizio Bernal as a forward threat for the season!
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The Panthers came up short of the ultimate prize their previous five trips to the UIL State Softball Tournament. The last trip came 10 years ago in 2012.
A bases-loaded walk in the home half of the seventh inning propelled Northside O'Connor to the program's first-ever Class 6A State Championship with a 7-6 victory over Mansfield Lake Ridge on Saturday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas.
"It's awesome," Northside O'Connor coach Caitlin Bollier said. "We had a group of some of the athletes who had been to the tournament in year's past, they made these girls a video. Just to be able to come here and win it for our community and the girls who have won O'Connor across their chest, it's a pretty cool thought."
Jada Munoz, a McNeese State signee, was named the Class 6A State Championship Game MVP, after going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and the game-tying home run in the seventh inning.
"I can't even put it into words," Munoz said about winning MVP. "I'm so happy right now. I'm so proud of myself."
Sammie Portillo got the start for O'Connor in the circle. Portillo settled in after a rocky first inning and gave up six runs on on nine hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings of work.
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