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Bridgeland Coach Candi Weige speaks with her team, following their appearance in the State Semis
Photo by: Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
SENIOR SEND-OFF: Bridgeland stars establish legacy in historic season
From their statement win in the Region II Finals, to exchanging blows with a heavy-hitter like Guyer, the Cy-Fair ISD reps did not disappoint in the slightest.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
Senior OF/P Haylie Stum
“Our chemistry is uncanny,” said senior OF/P Haylie Stum. “We just trust each other, and when we go down, we’re never out. The resiliency of this team is crazy and I hope that continues after I leave. To go out like this was great–we fought to the very end.”
Even more so, the culture and mentality of the composite group is what distinguished this Bridgeland team as one of the most watchable in the Houston area, if not the state.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
“There’s only one word that comes to mind when I think about what it was like to coach this group: Blessed,” said Candi Weige. “We are blessed, I am blessed. These girls have fought time and time again to be able to get here [the State Semifinals]. They did, and they showed out. I could not be more proud of them.”
During their playoff run, the major players--Stum (.439 BA, 19 RBI, 3 HR), senior 3B Trinity Allen (.378 BA, 10 RBI, 3 HR), and senior catcher Lilli Piersons (.447 BA, 12 RBI, 3 HR)--helped to elevate the Bears to new heights, serving as the “big sisters” of the young group.
Senior Catcher Lilli PiersonsMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“I loved being able to be a leader to these girls,” said Piersons. “They’ve helped me grow in so many aspects of my life–not just as an athlete, but personally as well. We’ve been through so much together and it’s such a blessing to have had a season like ours.”
Piersons’ soon-to-be teammate at McLennan, Trinity Allen, takes that one step further.
Both Trinity and her younger sister Chayne (Jr. OF) have played alongside one another for their entire softball careers. It seems only appropriate that the pair made history in their final season on the same field.
Senior 3B Trinity AllenMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“It’s been incredible,” said Trinity. “We’ve just fed off each other’s energy and when one of us has been down, the other would pick us back up. But, playing with Chayne--I’ve learned a lot from her because she leads in her own way. Bridgeland is going to keep thriving with her in the program.”
“Playing with Trinity has been wonderful,” Chayne said. “I continue to see her set an example, on and off the field–holding people accountable. I can’t wait to see what she does at McLennan.”
Chayne and junior RHP Sydney Jackson--2.04 ERA, 82 Ks in the playoffs--will be the next in line to step up as the leaders of the program, moving forward. Both understand they’ll have some big shoes to fill.
Junior RHP Sydney JacksonMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“The seniors were great role models, and I want to help keep that legacy going on,” said Jackson. “There’s a great group of younger classmen here, and we’ll have several of them starting next year. I think anybody on this team can stand up and become a leader moving forward.”
Count on the next generation of Bridgeland Softball making another run, a year from now, with the intention of breaking more barriers.
“This team has set something in stone that nobody will ever be able to take away from them,” said coach Weige. “The standard has been set for all these classes to come in, and now we know what it takes to make it to this point.”
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
The Bridgeland team sings their school alma mater after winning the Region II FInal
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
EXTRA INNINGS: Bridgeland is State-Bound after an instant classic; photo gallery
However, the finale between the two powerhouses was where Bridgeland had the opportunity to truly show their mettle.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
Haylie Stum (Sr. OF/P)
Langham Creek took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning of game three, when senior 3B Trinity Allen would respond with an RBI-double to make the score 2-1, which would remain the score until the final inning.
The Lobos gave Bridgeland a scare in the bottom of inning No. 6, with two runners on base and no outs, but junior right-hander Sydney Jackson had things under control.
Bridgeland's Sydney JacksonMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“I have a tendency to just block out everything,” Jackson said. “I just focus on me and Lilli--pitcher and catcher relationship--and I just have to settle myself down a little bit. I have to take my time and really think about what I want to do.”
Jackson showed tremendous composure under pressure, striking out the next three batters to keep their deficit at one run, giving Bridgeland one last chance to keep their season alive in the seventh.
Bridgeland Softball is STATE-BOUND www.youtube.com
Senior OF Mia Landry came in the clutch with a base hit and subsequent steal to get into scoring position. With one out on the board, Rylie Marquart (So. IF) would hit a sac-fly to allow Landry to tag in from third-base to eventually bring the game into extra-innings.
Bridgeland would proceed to take the lead in the eighth, via a sac-fly hit by Haylie Stum, and ultimately secure their spot in the State Tournament by a score of 3-2--sending the team and the crowd into an uproar on the field.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
“It’s unbelievable to have made it this fair,” said Jackson. “We’ve been working so hard, and our team chemistry has just put us in this position to go to the next level.”
McLennan-signee Trinity Allen concurred with that sentiment
Bridgeland's Trinity Allen Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
“What makes this team special is our chemistry,” she said. “It’s also our ability to bounce back through any adversity. We trust one another, we trust our coaches, and having our fans as a support system really helps us to achieve that.”
Bridgeland did have plenty of support in the stands for the subsequent matches--with some fans even clad in fruit-themed attire. The fanbase will soon be following the team to Austin, where they will compete for a state championship.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
For the seniors on the team--who already graduated last week--these last few moments together are essentially the “extra-innings” of their high school career.
“It’s such a blessing and it is so exciting to still be playing with these girls,” said fellow McLennan-signee Lilli Piersons. “Beyond our extended time--we just love each other so much. It’s so exciting that we don’t really ever get tired of each other.”
Bridgeland's Lilli PiersonMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
The State Semis begin this Friday at Red & Charline McCombs Field, where Bridgeland will face Denton Guyer.
Expect the Bears to make the most of it, as they aim to cap off their historic season with some hardware.
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