Scoop27
04-23-2016, 02:56 PM
From Brazosport Facts
SWEENY — Columbia clinched the District 28-4A softball title outright Friday, blanking the Sweeny Lady Bulldogs, 6-0, on the road.
The Lady ’Necks finish the district season at 9-1 with a 25-2 overall record. It was also Shelly Murphy’s seventh district championship since she started in 2004 with the program.
“You know when you get as old as I have, you lose count,” said Shelly Murphy, smiling.
The Lady ’Necks will get El Campo in the bidistrict round.
Sweeny (7-3, 18-6) clinched third place with the loss. Needville (8-2, 16-11) got second place, with Brazosport (4-6, 15-11) finishing in fourth place.
The game resembled the first meeting this season between the two rivals as the Lady ’Necks took advantage of miscues by Sweeny.
In the first inning, leadoff batter Celeste Loughman started things off with a bunt single and used her speed to beat out the throw. With two outs and Loughman at second base, the Lady Bulldogs committed their first of three costly errors — a dropped a fly ball hit by Laci Hambalek, allowing Loughman to head home.
The tough inning continued for Columbia as Sabrina Fogle hit a grounder that got past the third baseman then was bobbled by the left fielder, making it 2-0. No more runs scored, but the damage was done.
“It got the ball rolling for us and they made a few mistakes early, but we had the bottom of the lineup do some things for us and the middle of the lineup as well do some things for us,” Shelly Murphy said. “Taylor (Murphy) pitched her butt off tonight. She’s come through for us in the clutch hitting-wise, but the girls picked her up tonight.”
Taylor Murphy worked all seven frames, scattering three hits with six strikeouts and no walks. No Sweeny base runner advanced past first base.
“Defensively, I can’t say enough about what Taylor did out there tonight as well,” Shelly Murphy said of her daughter.
Columbia made it 3-0 in the second with another run scoring off an error. Another run off a miscue came in the fourth when Hambalek smacked a fly ball to center field and the center fielder dropped it, allowing Alexandria Lewis to score from second base to make it 4-0. Lewis had reached on a walk.
The final two nails in the coffin came in the sixth and seventh innings as the Lady Bulldogs finished with six errors.
Columbia is on a roll going into the playoffs.
“We are, in the beginning of the season we looked around and had some big shoes to fill, but we’ve had some kids really step up,” Shelly Murphy said. “We are still young, we have some great seniors that are guiding the way but looking at the infield there isn’t a senior there except for Laci who is playing first base.”
Sweeny’s Allie Robertson picked up two of those hits for the Lady Bulldogs.
UIL bidistirct playoffs get going next weekend.
SWEENY — Columbia clinched the District 28-4A softball title outright Friday, blanking the Sweeny Lady Bulldogs, 6-0, on the road.
The Lady ’Necks finish the district season at 9-1 with a 25-2 overall record. It was also Shelly Murphy’s seventh district championship since she started in 2004 with the program.
“You know when you get as old as I have, you lose count,” said Shelly Murphy, smiling.
The Lady ’Necks will get El Campo in the bidistrict round.
Sweeny (7-3, 18-6) clinched third place with the loss. Needville (8-2, 16-11) got second place, with Brazosport (4-6, 15-11) finishing in fourth place.
The game resembled the first meeting this season between the two rivals as the Lady ’Necks took advantage of miscues by Sweeny.
In the first inning, leadoff batter Celeste Loughman started things off with a bunt single and used her speed to beat out the throw. With two outs and Loughman at second base, the Lady Bulldogs committed their first of three costly errors — a dropped a fly ball hit by Laci Hambalek, allowing Loughman to head home.
The tough inning continued for Columbia as Sabrina Fogle hit a grounder that got past the third baseman then was bobbled by the left fielder, making it 2-0. No more runs scored, but the damage was done.
“It got the ball rolling for us and they made a few mistakes early, but we had the bottom of the lineup do some things for us and the middle of the lineup as well do some things for us,” Shelly Murphy said. “Taylor (Murphy) pitched her butt off tonight. She’s come through for us in the clutch hitting-wise, but the girls picked her up tonight.”
Taylor Murphy worked all seven frames, scattering three hits with six strikeouts and no walks. No Sweeny base runner advanced past first base.
“Defensively, I can’t say enough about what Taylor did out there tonight as well,” Shelly Murphy said of her daughter.
Columbia made it 3-0 in the second with another run scoring off an error. Another run off a miscue came in the fourth when Hambalek smacked a fly ball to center field and the center fielder dropped it, allowing Alexandria Lewis to score from second base to make it 4-0. Lewis had reached on a walk.
The final two nails in the coffin came in the sixth and seventh innings as the Lady Bulldogs finished with six errors.
Columbia is on a roll going into the playoffs.
“We are, in the beginning of the season we looked around and had some big shoes to fill, but we’ve had some kids really step up,” Shelly Murphy said. “We are still young, we have some great seniors that are guiding the way but looking at the infield there isn’t a senior there except for Laci who is playing first base.”
Sweeny’s Allie Robertson picked up two of those hits for the Lady Bulldogs.
UIL bidistirct playoffs get going next weekend.