Lake Creek downs Hallsville 12-1 for state softball title

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vida Loca Photography
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 30, 2025) The Montgomery Lake Creek Lions softball team achieved a remarkable victory, defeating the Hallsville Bobcats 12-1 to win the 2025 UIL Class 5A Division II state championship. This win marks their third state title in four years and concludes a perfect 37-0 season.

The game, held at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, saw the Lions take an early lead with two runs in the first inning. Hallsville managed to score once in the third, but Lake Creek's offense exploded in the fifth inning, adding six runs to their tally. They continued to dominate, scoring additional runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In total, the Lions amassed 14 hits and committed no errors, while Hallsville was limited to just two hits and four errors.

Junior pitcher Sara Wiggins (shown above, holding plaque) delivered an outstanding performance, pitching a complete game with 11 strikeouts and allowing only one run on two hits. Her efforts earned her the Finals MVP title. Wiggins also contributed offensively with a hit and two RBI.

Offensively, the Lions were led by Miranda Orso, Madalyn Davis, and Gracee Brewer, each recording three hits. Orso had two doubles, two RBIs, and scored twice. Davis added a triple, and Brewer contributed with a single and an RBI.

Under the guidance of head coach Candyce Carter, Lake Creek has established itself as a powerhouse in Texas high school softball. Since the program's inception in 2019, the Lions have achieved an impressive overall record of 228-22, including two undefeated seasons. Their combined record during their championship seasons in 2022, 2023, and 2025 stands at a remarkable 122-1.

Harlingen South punches ticket to UIL 5A state softball championship game

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

GEORGETOW, TEXAS (May 31, 2024)  For the first time in school history, the Harlingen South Lady Hawks have advanced to the 5A UIL State Championship title game in softball. 

The Lady Hawks competed against the Aledo Ladycats at East View High School in Georgetown. The game was thrilling and intense, with the Lady Hawks winning by a narrow margin of 1-0. This victory was particularly impressive given the tough competition they faced.

The playoffs were originally supposed to be held at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. However, due to bad weather, the location was changed to East View High School. Despite this change, the Lady Hawks stayed focused and played their best game.

Now, the Lady Hawks are gearing up for their next big challenge. They will compete against the Melissa Cardinals in the championship round. The Melissa Cardinals earned their spot in the championship by defeating Lake Belton with a score of 4-0 on Friday morning.

The state championship game is set to take place at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. The first pitch will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1. 

Melissa softball downs Lake Belton in UIL state semifinal

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography        Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 31, 2024) The Melissa Cardinals (shown above) added another impressive win to their record on Friday as they defeated Lake Belton 4-0 in the Class 5A state semifinal, played at the University of Texas' Red & Charline McCombs Field.

Caigan CrabtreeCaigan Crabtree, a standout player whom has committed to Texas, had a fantastic game. She went 3-for-3 at the plate, hitting RBI doubles in the first and third innings. She also made a spectacular leaping catch at shortstop in the fourth inning. Thanks to Crabtree’s stellar performance, Melissa secured their spot in the state title game, which will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Harlingen SouthHarlingen South.

Melissa is hoping to become the first Dallas-area team to win a UIL softball state title since Forney did in 2018. Freshman second baseman Amariee Bradford hit her seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving Melissa a state-record total of 90 home runs for the season. This total ranks them second in national history, with only Stonewall North Desoto from Louisiana having hit more, with 105 homers in 2022.

Melissa’s team features three of the most prolific sluggers in state history. Freshman Hutton Adrian has hit 22 home runs, breaking the Dallas-area single-season record. Sophomore Kennedy Bradley has 20 homers, and junior Caigan Crabtree has 19. Together, these three players have combined for 186 hits, 116 extra-base hits, and 180 RBIs in 39 games this season.

The game started an hour late due to bad weather, but Melissa wasn’t fazed. Bradley singled in the first inning, and Crabtree followed with an RBI double to put Melissa on the board. In the third inning, Bradley singled again, and Crabtree hit another RBI double. Bradford added a sacrifice fly, scoring Crabtree and giving Melissa a 3-0 lead.

Bradley, who transferred to Melissa from Prosper Rock Hill, had shoulder surgery last year and couldn’t swing a bat for six months. But she showed her strength by going 2-for-3 in the game. Melissa’s pitcher, Alex Starr, a Michigan State pledge, pitched a three-hit shutout, stranding six runners and improving her record to 28-1.

Lake Belton, who had averaged 6.8 runs per game in the playoffs, couldn’t score against Starr. Despite winning 35 of their last 36 games, Lake Belton couldn’t overcome Melissa’s strong defense and pitching.

Houston Cougars softball falls to Iowa State 9-4

Photo courtesy of Houston Athletics

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

AMES, IOWA (March 15, 2024) In an exciting doubleheader, the University of Houston softball team faced off against the Iowa State Cyclones, but unfortunately, the Cougars fell short in the finale by the score of 9-4, allowing Iowa State to claim victory and sweep Friday's matchups.

Houston started strong, taking an early lead with a fiery performance in the first inning.  Jazmyn Rollin showcased her prowess with a powerful two-run homer, setting the tone for the Cougars. Kennedy Thomas also contributed with an RBI-double, propelling Houston to a promising start.

However, Iowa State rallied back with a vengeance, seizing control of the game with a five-run surge in the third inning. Despite Houston's efforts, the Cyclones proved to be a formidable opponent, showcasing their resilience and offensive prowess throughout the matchup.

While the Cougars displayed notable performances from Rollin, Thomas, and Bree Cantu, they struggled to contain Iowa State's relentless offense. Iowa State's Aziza Rodriguez and Jaiden Ralston delivered solid pitching performances, limiting Houston's scoring opportunities and securing the win for the Cyclones.

Oklahoma regains No. 1 spot on ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll

Photo credit: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

By Chris Price
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 12, 2024) In the latest Week 5 ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, the Oklahoma Sooners have climbed back to the No. 1 spot after a fantastic week. They dominated with a big win mid-week and then swept Iowa State in their Big 12 conference opener. The Sooners were on fire, outscoring their opponents 29-3 in the series.

The LSU Tigers are also making waves, staying undefeated with a 22-0 record and moving up one spot in the rankings. Meanwhile, Texas slips down three spots after a mixed performance against Houston, managing to win the series but suffering a tough loss in the process.

Duke holds strong in the No. 4 spot after securing wins against Elon and South Dakota State, while Georgia rounds out the Top 5 after a successful weekend at the Bulldog Classic, including wins against Miami-OH.

Here's how the Top 10 looks:

1. Oklahoma

2. LSU

3. Texas

4. Duke

5. Georgia

6. Stanford

7. Oklahoma State

8. Washington

9. Tennessee

10. Florida

The rankings show that the competition is heating up as teams battle it out on the field. With each week, we're seeing some exciting matchups and impressive performances from these top college softball teams. Stay tuned for more action-packed games ahead!

McNeese Softball advances to Regional Championship game with win over Minnesota

Photo courtesy of McNeese Athletics Communications

SEATTLE, WASINGTON (May 21, 2023) For the second straight year, McNeese softball is headed to the regional championship game after a 1-0 win over Minnesota late Saturday night.  The Cowgirls (46-15) will face the No. 7 overall ranked team in the nation and the regionals No. 1 seed Washington (40-12) at 3 p.m. (CT) Sunday.  The Cowgirls must defeat the Huskies twice if they want to advance to their first Super Regionals in program history.

Freshman Corine Poncho took advantage of her first start in the regional tournament and provided the game winning RBI in the second inning with a two out single through the left side that scored Mariana Torres from second.  Torres reach base on a one out walk then moved into scoring position on a ground out by Rylie Bouvier.

Ashley Vallejo (19-8) tossed another gem and picked up her seventh shutout of the season.  The shutout by the Cowgirls is the first shutout by a Southland Conference in the NCAA Tournament since 2009.

Vallejo allowed six hits with three strikeouts, and one walk.  The three strikeouts marked 300 for her career.

The other Cowgirl hit of the game came from Chloe Gomez who singled up the middle in the third inning.

Minnesota (38-19) used three pitchers in the game with starter Jacie Hambrick taking the loss to fall to 7-7 on the year.  Hambrick allowed one earned run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout in 2.0 innings.

McNeese State softball punches ticket to NCAA Tournament

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (May 13, 2023) Fans are invited to join the 2023 Southland Conference Tournament Softball Champions, McNeese Cowgirls at Mr. Bill’s Seafood Express on Sunday, May 14 for the NCAA Selection Show that will begin at 6 p.m. (CST) on ESPN2.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The 64-team double-elimination bracket that spreads among 16 regional locations will take place May 19-21.

The Sixteen regional winners will then advance to the super regional, a two-team, best-of-three style format held either May 25-27, or May 26-28.

The eight super regional winners earn spots in the 2023 Women's College World Series that begins on Thursday, June 1. The WCWS begins in double-elimination format, before the final two teams play a best-of-three series for the national championship.

McNeese (44-14) earned the Southland’s automatic bid with a 1-0 (8 inning) win over Southeastern on Saturday to advance to its ninth NCAA Tournament.

HBU downs Prairie View A&M 9-1 in softball action

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 5, 2022) The HBU Huskies downed Prairie View A&M by the score of 9-1 in a shortened run-rule game at Husky Softball Field on Saturday. 

The Huskies started their scoring run in the first inning when Jasie Roberts tripled, sending two runners home, to give HBU a 2-0 lead. The score would remain at 2-0 until the fifth inning when the Huskies tallied RBIs from Baylee Chanmdler, Riley Martin, Justice Palmer, and Sarah Venker to push the score to 7-0. The Panthers scored a single run in the sixth inning, while HBU added two runs off a Martin triple to complete scoring.

The win pushed the Huskies to 9-7 while the loss dropped the Panthers to 0-17. HBU will finish the series on Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. CT first pitch against Brown.

Texas Longhorns Janae Jefferson names to National Team

Photo courtesy of
USA Softball and
University if Texas
 Sports Communications

By Chris Price
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (January 8, 2022) Texas Longhorns softball player Janae Jefferson has been name to the USA Softball National Team that will compete in The World Games in July, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama.

This past fall, during the Longhorns' fall season, she went 16-for-24 (.667) at the plate with five doubles, seven RBI, and one homerun. She has been named All-American three times and is the program career leader with a .431 batting average 270 hits.

During the 22021 season, she led the squad in batting (.446), hits (75), OBP (.495), and stolen bases (14). In addition, she was second in runs scores (49), third in total bases (100), and fifth in slugging (.595).

Deer Park 12U Cougars split double header in La Porte

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

LA PORTE, TEXAS (November 7, 2020) The Deer Park Cougars 12U softball team split a double header at the La Porte Softball Complex on Saturday, November 7, 2020. They started out the day by dropping an 8-3 decision to the Pasadena Element, following that up with a 10-2 win over Deepwater 12U.

In their game against Pasadena, catcher Kirstin Kelly led the Cougars; going 2-for-2, scoring two runs with one RBI. Second basewomen Hayley Poe and third basewoman Zayda Jauregui each had one hit for the Cougars with Poe scoring the third Cougar run in the game. Maddie Farmer faced 15 batters in one and one-third innings for Deer Park; striking out two without giving up any walks. She threw 49 pitches; with 30 of them being strikes,

In the second game against Deepwater, the Cougars tallied 10 runs off nine hits in their victory. First basewoman Keira Jennings, Kelly and Poe led the Cougars with two hits each; along with one hit each by center fielder Arianny Cantu, right fielder Paige Taylor, and Farmer. Farmer and Poe scored two runs, with shortstop Seslee Shreffler, Cantu, Jennings, Taylor, Kelly and Jauregui adding one run each to the Cougars’ total.

Jordyn Hailk saw two full innings in the circle, giving up only two runs, both of them earned. She faced nine batters; throwing 18 strikes on 30 pitches. She only walked one batter while striking out one.

Earlier this season, the Cougars took second place in the Deer Park Spooktacular Softball Tournament on the weekend prior to Halloween. It was their third top-three placing in tournament play in the team’s history.

The Cougars will close out their fall season with two games on Saturday, November 14, with location and opponents yet to be determined. Deer Park is coached by Larry King, Hillary Williams, and Dale Yurt.

Deer Park Cougars kickoff Gabby Romero Tournament with pool game win

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (October 3, 2020) The Deer Park Cougars 12U softball team kicked off the Gabby Romero Memorial Tournament with a 1-1 record in pool play at Burke Crenshaw Park in Pasadena, Texas with a 1-1 record in pool play. After dropping a 8-3 decision to the Pasadena Element in their first game of pool play, the Cougars rallied back to down the Deepwater Explosion by the score of 7-6.

Against Deepwater, the Cougars trailed after the first inning when the Explosion scored two runs in the bottom of the inning, after failing to score. Deer Park rallied back in the second inning, scoring five runs to take a 5-2 lead in the top of the second. Deepwater regained the lead in the bottom of the second; scoring four runs, with the Cougars trailing by one going into the third inning. Deer Park was able to score the tying and go ahead runs in the third inning to secure the win.

The Cougars bats were hot against Deepwater, with shortstop Keira Jennings and third baseman Kirstin Kelly connecting for thiples and right fielder Hayley Poe and pitcher Jordyn Halik hitting doubles. Catcher Maddie Farmer led Deer Park with two stolen bases, with Poe and MA Minor adding one each to the Cougars' total. Kelly recorded two RBI in the game, the most for both teams. 

Seven players scored single runs for the Cougars; including second baseman Zayda Jauregui, center fielder Arianny Cantu, Farmer, Minor, Jenkins, Halik, and Poe. Designated player/right field Paige Taylor reached base twice and advanced runners into scoring position to aid in the offensive effort for Deer Park. On the mound, Halik saw faced 14 batters, throwing 48 pitches, with 19 of them for strikes; in addition to striking out two and walking four.

The Cougars are coached by Larry King, Hillary Williams, and Dale Yurt.

 

No. 1 Texas softball’s Elish named Softball America National Player of the Year

Texas Athletic Department Photo
Used with permission

AUSTIN, TEXAS (April 9, 2020) Texas softball senior pitcher/utility player Miranda Elish (shown right) was named the 2020 Softball America Shortened Season National Player of the Year, while both Elish (first team) and junior second baseman Janae Jefferson (second team) were honored as 2020 Softball America Shortened Season All-Americans.

The duo helped guide the Longhorns to a 24-3 mark and final rankings of No. 1 in the Softball America and No. 3 in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls. Along the way, Texas tied for the third-best 27-game start in school history, while leading the nation in team batting average (.376) and total doubles (62). The Burnt Orange & White also ranked in the NCAA Division I national top 10 in doubles-per-game (2nd – 2.30), on-base percentage (3rd - .450), solo shutouts (4th – 10), slugging percentage (5th – .597), won/loss percentage (6th – .889) and scoring (8th – 7.37). UT rallied for eight come-from-behind wins, went 5-1 against ranked teams (including beating the top two teams in the nation in consecutive games – No. 1 UCLA & No. 2 Washington) and scored more runs over the first 27 games (199) than any squad in program history.

On her way to national player of the year honors, Elish led the Big 12 Conference and ranked sixth in NCAA Division I in wins (11) while posting a 1.25 ERA, 11 complete games, four shutouts and 96 strikeouts over 84.0 innings of work while limiting the opposition to a miniscule .158 average. At the plate, the Crown Point, Ind., native also hit at a .370 clip over 23 contests with seven doubles, four HR’s and 19 RBIs to go with a 1.200 OPS. Among her individual highlights in 2020 were earning NFCA National Player of the Week honors (Feb. 11), after batting .818 with four HR’s and a remarkable 17 RBIs during the six-game Texas Classic, as well as tossing her second career perfect game by retiring all 21 batters she faced in a 7-0 win over New Mexico (March 8).

Jefferson continued her remarkable career in the Burnt Orange & White by leading the Big 12 in batting average (.554 – 3rd in NCAA Division I), hits (41 – 4th in NCAA) and on-base percentage (.607 – 3rd in NCAA) while posting eight extra-base hits, 13 walks and stealing 10 bases. The Humble, Texas, native currently owns the best career batting average in school history at .425, well ahead of Lexy Bennett’s (2009-12) second-ranked .385 mark. During the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Jefferson led the squad with 13 multi-hit games, including five three-hit efforts, and ended the season on a 17-game streak of reaching base safely. She also earned the final Big 12 Conference Player of the Week accolade on March 10 after hitting .750 with a 1.714 OPS during UT’s 4-0 run through the Longhorn Invitational.

USA Softball "Stand Beside Her" tour in holding pattern

USA Olympic Team Member Monica Abbott
(No. 14) will be pitching in the "Stand Beside Her"
Tour when it plays in Sugar Land.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis,
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS (March 28, 2020) The USA Softball "Stand Beside Her" tour scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2020 is in a "holding pattern" as stated in an official press release on March 25. The game, to be played at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CDT start. The press release stated the following:

As it relates to the U.S. Olympic Softball Team and the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by MLB, there are still a lot of moving pieces and discussions to be had before we can determine appropriate next steps. However, please know that our commitment to the health and safety of our athletes, coaches, umpires, staff/volunteers, families, and fans is of the utmost importance to USA Softball. When details are available for our new Road to Tokyo, we will share updates as soon as we are able to.
As of now, we do not have any new information regarding the tour stop. We understand that you have a variety of questions regarding the rescheduling of the tour stop, ticket sales and the details of what is to come with our tour stop in HOUSTON. However at this time the information above is what is currently available. As soon as we have information available regarding the rescheduling of our tour stop, which we anticipate to have by April 13, we will be sure to share it with you.

TexSport Publications will publish any further developments, as they become available.

Deer Park 10U Cougars go 1-0-1 in Co-op games

Photo by Kristine Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

SOUTH HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 12, 2019) The Deer Park 10U Cougars won their first game and tied their second game in their third weekend of fall co-op play at the South Houston girl's softball fields. In their first game, they downed the Pasadena Lady Texans by the score of 4-3. In the second game of the Saturday afternoon double-header, the "Ladies in Red" tied the Deepwater Sharks 2-2.

Against Pasadena, the Cougars were led by catcher Kirstin Kelly, scoring two runs and going 1-for-1 at the plate with a double in her second at-bat. Starting pitcher Maddie Farmer connected for a single at the plate and struck out three from the mound. First baseman Elizabeth Posada got on base with two singles and scored the second run for Deer Park. Second baseman Jordyn Halik also hit a single, along with shortstop Sesslee Shreffler, who also scored.

In the second game, head coach Larry King switched up the players' position and use a different lineup against the Sharks. The defensive skills of Mikaela Provost, Paige Taylor, Brooklyn Smith, Aliyah Zavaleta, and Ava Sarratt by allowing only two batters to get to on base via two singles. Posada pitched against the Deepwater, striking out three and scored the game tying run with a double with two extra base for the score. In addition, Taylor connected for a single with Farmer getting on base with a single and scoring the first run of the game for the Cougars.

With the win and the tie, the Cougars now post a 4-1-1 record in co-op play, The final games of the 2019 Fall Co-op Season will be Saturday, October 19 at the South Houston softball fields.

The Cougars are coached by Larry King, Hillary Williams, Dale Yurt, and Cory Provost. 

  

Houston Cougars ranked No. 23 by Softball America

By Kristine Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 3, 2019) Softball America, which is a new publication of Baseball America, has announced their preseason college softball rankings and the Houston Cougars are ranked number 23 in the nation. The rankings are determined by the staff of the publication, along with selected NCAA Division head softball coaches.

Previously, the Cougars received votes (31) in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll, while receiving one vote in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. 

Houston kicks off the 2019 season on February 8, when they host the Kentucky Wildcats. The entire Cougar schedule can be viewed here.

Cards Announce Baseball & Softball Fan Day

BEAUMONT, TEXAS (January 16, 2019) Lamar University is proud to announce a new experience for Cardinal fans, the Baseball & Softball Fan Day, taking place at Vincent-Beck Stadium on February 2nd from 11 am to 2:30 p.m. Attendees to the free event will see a full scrimmage from the baseball program, get a chance to walk around on the brand-new, state-of-the-art turf field being installed at "The Beck", pick up posters for the 2019 season, and get autographs from both the baseball and softball teams. In addition, a kids' clinic will be provided after the scrimmage with stations operated by baseball and softball student-athletes. Concessions and apparel sales will be open during the scrimmage, and season and individual game ticket sales will also be available at the front gate. "At Lamar University we're committed to providing new and exciting experiences for our fans, and we think this event is a good example of that commitment," said Director of Athletics Marco Born. "I'm very excited about this opportunity fans will have to see the new field and get to know some of our student-athletes and coaches better. We hope this is a great step towards building a larger Cardinal community in the Golden Triangle." In addition to the new turf field being installed at the stadium, Cardinal fans have a lot to be excited about for the 2019 season. Both the incoming freshman and junior college recruiting classes for baseball received national rankings, and the softball program is beginning a new era in 2019 with the hiring of Amy Hooks as head coach in the offseason. Both teams also return a bevy of All-Southland Conference talent. "We are excited to be part of the first ever fan fest and to have the community coming out to support us. It's a great way for our student athletes to give back and interact with our fans," said head softball coach Amy Hooks. "This is a great way for our fans and the community to get a sneak peek at our brand-new field and for young players to get a chance to play on it and interact with our student-athletes as part of the kids' clinic. It's just a great event," said baseball head coach Will Davis. 11:00 am to 1:00 pm - The baseball crimmage will be run as if it's a normal baseball game with score keeping, walk-up songs, and videos and images on the video board. 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm - Fans will be allowed on the field to see the new turf up close and personal, take pictures, and run the bases. 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Baseball and Softball teams will conduct a kids' clinic on the field. An autograph session will follow the kids' clinic with Baseball and Softball teams and coaching staffs. All kids ages 12 and under will receive two vouchers at the end of the event, which will serve as free tickets with the purchase of an adult general admission ticket. One voucher will be for baseball's opening weekend, and the other will work for any regular season softball game.

Deer Park Vengeance 8U All-Stars go 2-2 in Spring Tournament

Photo by Kristine Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

SPRING, TEXAS (June 17, 2018) The Deer Park Vengeance 8U All-Star Softball Team competed in the "Who SAYS You're the Best Tournament" held at Bayer Park in Spring, Texas on June 15-17, 2018. They finished the weekend with a 2-2 record, placing fourth in the all-star tournament against teams against teams from Spring, Friendswood, Cleveland, and Houston  

In their first game against the Spring Storm, Deer Park won by the score of 9-8 in a four inning contest. They followed with a 10-5 thumping of the Cleveland All-Stars. The third game saw Deer Park drop a 12-8 decision to the Storm; in addition to dropping their final game of the tournament to the Friendswood Fire, 11-4.

The Vengeance players are Brooke Sawyer, Gaby Sanchez, Chloe Willis, Morgan Meredith, Mikayla Garza, Kirstin Kelly, Emilee Mendoza, Reyna Calzonzint, Madison Jones, MerrieAnne Minor, Cambrie Johnson, and Aliyah Rodriguez. They are coached by Abel Mendoza, Larry King, Tim Willis, and Leah Jones.

Deer Park 8U Vengeance kicks off All-Star softball season with two wins

Photo by Kristine Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

SPLENDORA, TEXAS (May 12, 2018) The Deer Park Vengeance 8U Softball Team kicked off the 2018 summer all-star season with two wins and one loss at the All-Star District Tournament on Saturday, May 12, 2018 in Splendora, Texas. In their first game of the tournament, Vengeance downed Conroe Crush by the score of 7-5. They followed up with a 10-5 win over East Montgomery County Texans before dropping an 11-10 heart-breaker to the Conroe Crush.

In the three games, Vengeance tallied 44 hits for a team batting average of .657. The also combined for 31 singles, nine doubles, and two triples. All 13 players on the all-star roster connected for hits with 12 scoring runs. Offensively, the All-Stars were led by third baseman Gaby Sanchez, right fielder Chloe Willis, rover Emilee Mendoza, and left fielder Cambrie Johnson with five hits each, followed by shortstop Morgan Meredith and flex Reyna Calzonzint with four each, and flex Brooke Sawyer, pitcher Mikayla Garza, and center fielder Raleigh Gil with three each. Two hits each were added by catcher Kirstin Kelly, second baseman Madison Jones, first baseman MerrieAnne Minor while flex Marissa Vasquez added one.

Garza led the Vengeance with five RBI, with Johnson and Garza both scoring four times, with Garza and Calzonzint adding triples and Sanchez connecting for a solo home run. Kelly, while behind the plate, had two tags at home and one pop-up foul caught for outs. As a result of their individual play, Garza was selected by the game officials as the Most Valuable Player against the Crush and Texans. In addition, Minor was selected as the game MVP in the second game against the Crush.

The Vengeance will continue tournament play on Sunday, May 13 against the Deer Park Dynasty with a 9:20 a.m. first pitch, and are coached by Abel Mendoza, Leah Jones, Tim Willis, Larry King, Dale Yurt and John Sawyer.

TexSport Publications named Broadcast and Media Outlet of Deer Park 8U Vengeance

By Chris Price

Copyright 2018 All Rights Rseerved

PASADENA, TEXAS (May 11, 2018) TexSport Publications is proud to announce that they are the official broadcast and media outlet for the Deer Park 8U Vengeance All-Star Softball Team. TexSport Publications will cover and report on the Vengeance during the 2018 summer all-star softball season and broadcast all their home games and selected road games.

The live broadcasts will be available on Facebook Live and on their YouTube Live channel, with Robert Kelly handling the play-by-play duties and Darla Tamulitis providing the color commentary.

The long-time media duo also broadcast the Deer Park 8U Cougars games during the 2018 spring season league games in the Deer Park Girl's Softball League.

Deer Park 8U Cougars advance in winner's bracket of La Porte Tournament

Photo by Kristine Kelly
Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

LA PORTE, TEXAS (April 7, 2018) The Deer Park 8U Cougars Girls' Softball Team stormed through the first two rounds of the La Porte Girls Softball Tournament, scoring a total of 25 runs in two games at Little Cedar Bayou Park in La Porte, Texas on Saturday, April 7, 2018.

In their first game of the tournament, the Cougars downed the South Houston Extreme by the score of 11-0. The "Ladies in Red" scored four runs in both the first and second innings, and added three insurance runs in the third for their first win of the tournament. Their 11 runs was the result of 14 hits while leaving only three runners on base. They followed that with a 14-13 win over Deepwater Xplosion to go 2-0 in the winner's bracket of the tournament. Against Deepwater, the Cougars needed two extra innings to secure the one-run victory.

Against the Extreem, nine of the ten Cougars playing in the game reached base, with left fielder Quinn Romero, shortstop Aubrey Rogers, and catcher Kirstin Kelly each scoring two runs. Pitcher Cali Telles, first baseman Riley Wilson, center fielder Jocelynn Wall, second baseman Emilee Mendoza, and right fielder Paige Taylor connected at the plate for seven RBI, with third baseman Melina Delgado and rover Mia Ceniceros adding runs for the Cougars.

The Cougars had a tough match up in their second game of the tournament against Deepwater. They jumped out to a 4-1 lead after one inning, and held an 8-5 lead after two. Xplosion cut Deer Park's lead to two in the third and tied the score at eight in the fourth when the Cougars failed to score. That marked the end of regulation; forcing the game to extra innings. In the fifth inning, Deepwater exploed for four runs to take the lead 12 -8. The Cougars responded in great fashion, scoring four runs to again tie the game. In the sixth inning, Deer Park held Xplosion to a single run to take the score to 13-12. The Cougars began the inning with runners at second and third (as per the tie breaker rules)  when Kelly strode the plate. and after two pitches, connected for a fly ball over the second baseman's head and into center field; scoring Delgado and Rogers from third base and second base, respectively, for two runs and the win. Romero, Telles, Wilson, Delgado, and Wall were three-of-three at the plate, with Mendoza, Ceniceros, and Taylor adding hits and runs late in the game to add to the Cougars' total.

Deer Park will face the Deer Park Hooks in the third round of the tournament with a 9:05 p.m. CDT first pitch. 
The Cougars are managed by Larry King and coached by Abel Mendoza and Dale Yurt.

Selected Cougar games are broadcast live on Facebook direct from the ballpark. Contact Robert H Kelly at texsportpub@aol.com for details.