If there was any lingering doubt that this year’s Katy squad (34-5) is a legitimate title contender, last week’s emphatic series sweep over defending 6A Division II State Champion Kingwood erased it. The Tigers dispatched the reigning champs with a pair of similar victories.
Game 1 remained deadlocked at 1-1 through seven innings Thursday before Katy erupted in extras behind RBI doubles from Nevaeh Phillips (2 RBI), Libby Hroch, and Haley Schmitt (2 RBI). The late offensive surge proved decisive, powering the Tigers to a 6-2 victory in eight innings.
The following night, Libby Hroch ignited the offense with an RBI double in the bottom of the second inning, giving Katy an early advantage it would never relinquish. From there, the Tigers leaned on a stellar collective effort in the circle and on defense to keep Kingwood scoreless throughout the contest. Ella Kate “EK” Smith, Hroch, and freshman Haley Schmitt — who stepped in following Hroch’s untimely injury — combined to preserve the shutout.
However, the defining moment of Game 2 arrived in the sixth inning, when Katy’s formidable heart of the lineup — nicknamed “Death Valley” — delivered in emphatic fashion. EK Smith (Oklahoma signee), Maddie Smith (NC State), and Evie Willemssen (Auburn commit) launched back-to-back-to-back solo home runs over the center-field wall, breaking the game open and powering the Tigers to a 4-0 victory and a berth in the Region III Final.
In just her second season at the helm, head coach Meghan VanEtta has Katy on the verge of its first State Final Four appearance since the Tigers conquered the 6A brackets in 2019. Their Regional Final series against Clear Creek begins Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with all games set to be played at Summer Creek High School.
