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5 Big Things: Deer Park, Lake Creek headline Houston-area softball as playoffs begin
HOUSTON – Bringing home the hardware from the softball diamond at year’s end is something that Houston-area teams have been very good at.
Last year, it was Deer Park, Barbers Hill, and Liberty to bring home the crowns in Class 6A, 5A and 4A, respectively. It was the second-straight season (not counting the cancelled 2020 year due to COVID-19) that the Houston-area brought home three titles.
In fact, in the past three seasons, it has been eight state titles and 10 since 2015.
So, which team could bring it home in 2022?
Time to break down 5 Big Things to watch as the 2022 softball playoffs begin Wednesday.
The Back-To-Back Tour
You must start with the champs. Right? All the talk to open the 2022 playoffs will surround the teams that are trying to defend their titles from a year ago.
Deer Park, which won its third crown in program history a year ago, has gone 30-2 overall this season and is ranked No. 2 in Texas by MaxPreps. The Deer rolled through District 22-6A play, outscoring opponents 147-9. They open the playoffs against North Shore.
Barbers Hill was a team that had some question marks around not if they could hit and score runs in 2022 but who would hold down the circle for the talent that had graduated in Sophia Simpson and Samantha Landry. In step freshman Hailey Nutter, who quickly turned into the ace of the team. A perfect record in district, including a sweep of rival Crosby. The Eagles open their title defense this week with a best-of-three against Manvel.
Liberty is the final piece to this puzzle. The Panthers have won two state titles in the past five seasons and looks to add number three in 2022. Liberty just capped off a 25-4 regular season, going 10-2 in district play.
Lions Roar
Coming into the season we knew on paper that Lake Creek with its plethora of college signees and commits was going to be a statistical machine. The Lions entered this week with a perfect 29-0 mark and outscoring foes 249-28 this season.
Let’s start with Florida-commit Ava Brown in the circle. The junior’s numbers have been just flat-out silly in 2022. Brown boasts a 19-0 record with a 0.37 ERA, giving up just six earned runs with 251 strikeouts and 17 walks in 113 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting 0.072 against her.
At the plate, LSU-commit Maddie McKee leads the team with a .582 average, 11 doubles, six triples, seven home runs and 43 RBIs. Syracuse-signee Madelyn Lopez hit .507 with a team-leading 12 doubles and 30 RBIs, while Brown hit .378 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 29 RBIs.
This team is loaded and after making the Region III-5A Championship a year ago has its eyes set on Austin.
According to MaxPreps, the Lions are ranked No. 2 in the nation behind Roncalli from Indiana and No. 1 in Texas, ahead of Deer Park.
Putting a Charge into It
Clear Springs was one series win away from heading to Austin a year ago.
The Chargers fell to eventual Class 6A Champion Deer Park 3-1 in the Class 6A Region Championship in a decisive Game 3.
In 2022, Clear Springs has gone 24-4 overall, went 11-1 in district play and nearly scored 200 runs in the regular season. Junior Anna Soles leads the team at the dish with a .421 average, eight doubles and 28 RBIs, Erianna Garcia is right behind her with a .329 average and 26 RBIs and Clair Pollack is hitting .345 with 24 RBIs. Emma King leads the team in stolen bases with 19.
LSU-signee Emma Strood has hit .384 for the Chargers with six doubles and a team-leading five home runs and 22 RBIs in 2022.
Strood has also been the Chargers’ ace in the circle. The senior boasts a 17-3 record in 21 appearances with a 0.91 ERA for the season. Strood has struck out 215 batters and walked just 20 in 107 2/3 innings.
The Chargers have the hitting and pitching to make a run back to the Regional Championship and beyond in the coming weeks.
The Stat Machines!!
It is always fun to peruse the stats and see who has balled out in 2022. These are the leaders in each category, according to MaxPreps.
Home Runs – Kasidi Pickering, Atascocita (13), Kelsie Kelso, Atascocita (12), Addyson Sheppard, Kingwood (12)
RBIs – Halee Vance, Cypress Woods (53), Kelsie Kelso, Atascocita (48), Kasidi Pickering, Atascocita (47), Karlie Barba, Dobie (46), Maddie McKee, Lake Creek (43), Ahlana Bruins, New Caney (43), Mayson Garret, Angleton (43), Kristyn Whitlock, Pearland (42), Molly Yoo, Cypress Ranch (41), Addyson Sheppard, Kingwood (41), Kaeden Bell, Spring (40)
Strikeouts – Ava Brown, Lake Creek (251), Emma Strood, Clear Springs (215), Kynlei Chapman, Willis (211), Molly Yoo, Cy Ranch (168), Chloe Riassetto, Friendswood (153) Mary Martinez, Kingwood (151), Elise Adams, Memorial (147)
Other Teams to Watch
- -Brazoswood (The Bucs had some nice pieces coming back in 2022. The experience has paid off with a 29-6 overall record and going 11-2 in district play. They made the third-round last year before losing to Deer Park.)
- -Katy (It wasn’t that long ago that Katy was winning a state title in 2019. The Tigers are led by Camryn Harrison, Ashtyn Reichardt, Erynne Castillo and Kailey Wyckoff.
- -Bridgeland (The Bears could make a lot of noise in the 2022 playoffs. They are coming off a 26-5 regular season, won a district title for the first time ever and have a talented roster. Trinity Allen leads the squad with 32 RBIs, while hitting .380 with 12 doubles and four long balls. Haylie Stum has hit .486 for the season with 29 RBIs and eight doubles, while Makenzi Jenkins has batted .490 with 25 RBIs, seven double and five homers. In the circle it has been a combo of Sydney Jackson and Jenkins to carry the Bears.)
- -Kingwood (The Mustangs are coming out of one of the toughest softball districts in the city. They split the district title with Summer Creek and knocked off rival Atascocita. Freshman Addyson Sheppard has been a charge to the lineup, hitting .427 with 12 home runs, 11 doubles and 41 RBIs. Senior Mary Martinez has been the leader of the team with a .471 average, 38 RBIs and been the ace in the circle for the ‘Stangs. Martinez has gone 4-0 this season with a 2.17 ERA, striking out 151 and walking 33 in 93 2/3 innings.)
- -More To Watch: Santa Fe (23-4), Foster (15-3), Klein Collins (26-7), Friendswood (23-6)
Atascocita downs Kingwood 5-2 to split season series, Pickering, Kelso homer
HOUSTON - Ashley Boyd will admit that her team is different now than it was just a few weeks ago when it first Kingwood.
Now, the Atascocita coach sees her team not trying to play "hero" at the plate but instead "pass the bat to the next person."
"That's what we were missing the first half of the year," Boyd said following a 5-2 victory over rival Kingwood on Tuesday night. "Now, they are working as a cohesive unit versus just being nine or 10 people playing on the field."
Atascocita (17-8, 6-2 in District 21-6A play) has won six-straight games and seven of their last eight outings after suffering back-to-back district losses to Kingwood and Summer Creek in early March.
What was big for the Eagles on Tuesday was the longball - a pair of two-run shots from UNLV-signee Kelsie Kelso and Oklahoma-commit Kasidi Pickering - which hasn't been the calling card of this team in 2022 as that was just their 29th and 30th of the year so far.
"We had two clutch ones today," Boyd said. "We really work on driving the ball and hitting on a line. They did a great job, and we got a little extra carry on them tonight."
🥎 VYPE Highlight 🥎
Nothing better than a RIVALRY ... and @AHS_Softball_ vs @KHSSoftball delivered! We got Ks, dingers & defensive gems from the Eagles' 5-2 win! #txhssoftball (@HumbleISD @PickeringKasidi @Kelsiekelso07 @maryymart2 @HumbleISD_AHS @TXPrepSoftball @KPRC2RandyMc) pic.twitter.com/HXTpHpeHw3
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) April 6, 2022
The other run was driven in by freshman Zoe Bridges with an RBI double in the second inning. She finished 1 for 3 and an RBI.
Atascocita got a solid start from sophomore Vanessa Valdez, who gave up two runs on three hits with two strikeouts in five innings of work. Pickering came in to close out the game with two innings of work and a strikeout - it was her first pitching performance of the season.
"I know I could pitch with a lead and my defense is solid behind me," Pickering said. "I knew I had to get the win for Vanessa."
VYPE Postgame: @AHS_Softball_ Junior @PickeringKasidi talks after the game. Hit a 2-run home run and closed out the game in the circle for the Eagles. #txhssoftball @TXPrepSoftball @HumbleISD_AHS @HumbleISD @Kelsiekelso07 @raeganjennings @makenziebohann1 pic.twitter.com/P5gp902TEX
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) April 6, 2022
Kingwood (20-6, 7-1) was handed its first district loss of the season on Tuesday night.
Senior Louisiana Tech-signee Mary Martinez pitched a complete game for the Mustangs giving up the five runs on six hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. Martinez also went 2 for 3 at the dish with an RBI. Jordan Iverson had the other RBI for Kingwood in the sixth inning and finished 2 for 3 at the plate.
"I feel like every time we play them it is the same in that both teams are trying as hard as they can to win, it's a huge rivalry," Kingwood coach Lauren Hendrix said. "It's going to be a nailbiter competition, it's going to be a great game for the community to come watch. This time, it just had a different ending."
Despite the loss, Hendrix and her Mustangs remain atop the district with just a handful of games remaining on the district slate and North Shore coming up on Friday.
"I feel like this is the best team we've had in a while," Hendrix said. "We have great senior leadership. We have five seniors who are all going to play in college. I think that's huge. The leadership they display is second to none. Then, we have a great freshmen group. We are solid all the way through with every single class."
For Atascocita, they will be back in action on Friday at home to take on Summer Creek - the only other team to have beaten them in district play this season - looking to avenge that early season loss.
"We're more of a team and we're playing with one goal," Pickering of the difference now from earlier in the year. "Overall, this was a good win to go into Summer Creek on Friday."
VYPE Postgame: @AHS_Softball_ head coach Ashley Boyd talks about the 5-2 victory. (@Kelsiekelso07 @PickeringKasidi @HumbleISD_AHS @HumbleISD @TXPrepSoftball @raeganjennings @makenziebohann1) #txhssoftball pic.twitter.com/ZiBLG87d5h
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) April 6, 2022