UIL STATE SOFTBALL: Lake Creek completes perfect season, claims first-ever 5A State Championship
Hard work. Dedication. Motivation and ultimately buy in is what it takes for a team to piece together a perfect season.
For Lake Creek, their buy-in spanned from a cold Monday in February to a hot Texas summer Saturday afternoon in June. Through 41 games and 291 innings, the Lions roared to outscore their opponents 337-33.
In the end, it was their 19th shutout of the season on that June afternoon at Red & Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas that solidified their place in history.
Lake Creek defeated Georgetown 7-0 on Saturday to claim its 41st victory of the season and the 2022 Class 5A State Softball Championship.
“I think a perfect season is something no one ever thinks about, no one ever knows if that’s going to come out of whatever you’re putting out there,” junior Ava Brown said. “That in itself is amazing. Being a State Champion, anybody has that ability no matter how many games you win or how many games you lose. You can always become a State Champion if you have the right mindset, and we all did.”
Maddie McKee added: “It means a lot; all these girls love the game so much and seeing it payoff is the best thing you can ever see.”
Lake Creek finished the year 41-0 overall and claimed the program’s first-ever State Championship in just its third full season of varsity play.
“We practiced 24/7, we worked hard 24/7, we had the drive,” junior Kalee Rochinski said. “We were ready to go.”
The Lions cashed in on early errors by Georgetown in the early innings, pushing across four runs to take a 4-0 lead after the third inning. Shelby Winn singled in a run in the fifth, followed by Brown's two-run double in the seventh to make it 7-0.
Brown was lights out in the circle. The junior allowed no runs on one hit with eight strikeouts and zero walks. Brown finishes the 2022 season with 335 strikeouts and just 12 earned runs allowed in 183 1/3 innings.
“I love Ava Brown,” Rochinski, who caught for her all year, said. “I love catching her. I love her drive. We have that pitcher-catcher connection that is unreal. It feels like sometimes we can read each other’s minds.”
For Kalee and her mother Michelle, who serves as Lake Creek's head coach, Saturday was a special family moment.
In 2012, when Michelle was at Montgomery, she led the Bears to the Class 4A State Championship game. At the time Kalee was just seven years old.
That weekend, the Rochinski's left with a silver medal after falling 9-8 to Spring Branch Smithson Valley. This weekend, it's all gold.
“We did it, we did it,” Michelle said as she got emotional holding back tears. “We’ve dreamed of this. Ten years ago, I was on this field with Montgomery and she was seven years old. I got home and I told her one day this could be her. Ten years later it is her and we have the gold medal.”
Kalee added: “It is very special. Being a seven-year-old and being in the dugout with her when they came here in 2012. Now, being on the field playing for her, it’s amazing. I couldn’t ask for more.”
As Lake Creek celebrated with a strong showing of community support cheering them on, Brown pulled on her medal a few times. The gold medal now draped around her neck was for more than just her.
“This one’s for my team,” Brown said. “I play for my team, and I give my best for them. These girls they mean everything to me. Being able to not only to do this for them but for Montgomery County and all the little girls up in the stands watching us, that’s what it is all about.”
Scoring Plays
Top 2nd
Lake Creek's Payton Bauer is hit by a pitch, Caelee Clark scores (Lake Creek 1-0)
Top 3rd
Lake Creek's Carmen Uribe scores on a wild pitch (Lake Creek 2-0)
Lake Creek's Caelee Clark and Madelyn Lopez score on throwing error (Lake Creek 4-0)
Top 5th
Lake Creek's Shelby Winn drives in Madelyn Lopez (Lake Creek 5-0)
Top 7th
Lake Creek's Ava Brown doubled to right field to drive in two runs. (Lake Creek 7-0)
Deer Park's Emma Overla shows off the UIL Class 6A state softball trophy the Deer won last season. Deer Park is hoping to make it back-to-back state titles this weekend.
Deer Park, Lake Creek eye state softball championships
The Class 5A state championship game will be played Saturday at 4 p.m. The 6A title game will be Saturday at 7 p.m.
A preview of both teams going into this weekend’s semifinals.
Deer Park junior Julia Donnell celebrates with teammates after the Deer beat Pearland in their regional final last week.VYPE Media
CLASS 6A
Deer Park (40-4) vs. Lake Ridge (31-6)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Deer Park is ranked No. 5 nationally in MaxPreps’ Top 25. … It’s the sixth state tournament appearance for the Deer since 2012. They are seeking back-to-back state titles, and are looking for No. 4 overall (2012, 2014, 2021). … Deer Park is the only Greater Houston area softball program with three state championships. … Deer Park has plenty of dominant pitching in seniors Madison Applebe (17-3), a Central Florida signee, and Reanna Nieman (15-0). Junior Aubrey Graham provides a third dynamic arm. She is 7-1 this season. … Deer Park has eight players hitting .400 or better: senior Ashtyn Aldrete (.400), junior Kaitlyn Zaid (.400), Graham (.400), sophomore Kylie Wilson (.429), junior Angelina Morales (.509), senior Emma Overla (.509), senior Kayla Zaid (.525) and Nieman (.556). Kayla Zaid is a University of Houston signee. … Deer Park is averaging 8.3 runs per game and giving up just 1.6. … Lake Ridge is on a 15-game winning streak. … The Eagles are averaging 9.7 runs per game and giving up 2.5. … In the circle, the Eagles are led by freshman Avery Hoang (15-1). … Lake Ridge has seven players hitting .400 or better, led by junior centerfielder Tia Warsop’s .579 mark. She is an Oklahoma State commit. The others are junior Iyanna Callahan (.400), senior Maritza Arellano (.408), senior Maggie Miller (.417), senior Brooklyn Morris (.500), sophomore Kassidy Chance (.505) and junior Paris Johnson (.553).
Lake Creek's Maddie McKee (2) looks on during the Lions' regional quarterfinal playoff series against Waller earlier this season.VYPE Media
CLASS 5A
Lake Creek (39-0) vs. Prosper Rock Hill (33-9)
Friday, 10 a.m.
Lake Creek is ranked No. 2 nationally in MaxPreps’ Top 25. … Lake Creek High School opened in 2018. Four years later, the softball team is at state in just its third full varsity season (2020 was canceled due to COVID-19) after playing in the regional final last year. … The Lions are led by junior Ava Brown, a Florida commit. Brown is hitting .389 with 40 RBIs and 10 home runs and a .455 on-base percentage. She’s even more impressive in the circle, going 28-0 with a 0.5o ERA and 318 strikeouts to 22 walks. Opponents are hitting just. 106 against Brown. … Lake Creek has three players hitting .464 or better. Senior and Syracuse signee Madelyn Lopez is hitting .464 with 46 RBIs and four homers, sophomore Carmen Uribe is hitting .500 with 28 RBIs and a .531 on-base percentage, and junior and LSU commit Maddie McKee is hitting a team-best .534 with 47 RBIs and seven home runs. … Lake Creek is outscoring its playoff opponents, 72-13. … Rock Hill is in its second varsity season. … Senior Grace Berlage is the ace, going 19-2 with a 1.27 ERA and 171 strikeouts to 46 walks. Opponents are hitting .177 against her. … The Blue Hawks have two players hitting above. 400. Junior Veronica Cully is hitting a team-high .432 with 16 RBIs and freshman Ella Berlage is hitting .423 with 46 RBIs and a team-best five home runs.