Lady Oilers sweep their way in return to state tournament

June 1, 2010

PEARLAND — The last time the Pearland Lady Oilers lost was on April 23 when they dropped their final district game to Dobie, but finished with a 13-1 league mark to win the district title for the second straight year.

Pearland lost their final district game in 2009 before winning the 5A Region III  title and moving on to the finals of the 5A state championship game before losing a heartbreaker 1-0.

The same scenario took place in 2010 except that the Lady O's have swept their way through regionals with a perfect 8-0 mark which included some of the top teams in the Houston area. Now they are set to face the Lewisville Hebron Lady Hawks in the 5A state semifinals on Friday, June 4 at 5:00 p.m. at McCombs Field on the UT campus.

The Lady O's lost 1-0 to Smithson-Valley last year in the finals, but Smithson-Valley lost in the regional playoffs and won't be back to Austin to defend their crown. In fact - Pearland is the only returning team from the final four last year.

Pearland faced the Katy Taylor Lady Mustangs in the finals of the Region III championship and posted two straight wins 6-2 and 5-3 to repeat as regional champions.

In the opening game of their best-of-three series, junior All-State pitcher Jessica Bowden picked up the win after allowing two runs on 11 hits with nine strikeouts and only one walk.

Jaclyn Bechtle provided the fireworks for the Lady Oilers as she blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the third that gave Bowden all the runs she would need.

Leandra Maly scored the game's first run when she got an infield single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a single up the middle by Brook DuBois.

Katy Taylor tied up the game 1-1 in the top of the second on a walk and a single.

The Lady Mustangs held a 2-1 lead after adding another run in the top of the third on another walk and a single.

But the Lady O's blew the game open in the bottom of the third as Megan Coronado reached base on a fielder's choice. Maly reached base on another infield single putting runners on first and second. After both runners moved to second and third, Lauren Langner hit a single to centerfield to score Coronado to tie up the game 2-2.

DuBois was safe on a fielder's choice that plated Maly for a 3-2 Pearland lead.

That set up two runners on base and then Bechtle delivered the game-breaker with her 11th home run of the season. A blast that easily carried over the left-centerfield fence at Dawson High School's softball field. The ball hit a car and knocked off the outside mirror as well.

That made the score 6-2 and Bowden and the Pearland defense did the rest to pick up the win.

Taylor threated in each inning leaving five runners stranded in the final four frames, but the Pearland defense wouldn't give up any more runs.

The Lady Oilers had eight hits off of Katy Taylor pitcher Jennifer Hooker including Maly, who was 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Langner was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. DuBois was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Bechtle was 1-for-3 with three RBIs and one run scored. Bowden and Sara Clements had one hit each.

Pearland 5 - Katy Taylor 3

Pearland wanted to sweep Katy Taylor knowing that a return trip to the state softball tournament was on the line.

"We knew that we had another game if we lost  the second game, but we didn't want to leave that door open," head coach Laneigh Clark said. "We have been focused in every game to take care of our business and not worry about what the other teams was or wasn't doing."

That plan has definitely been the difference in Pearland playoff drive back to Austin.

Katy Taylor(24-16), for the second time against the No. 1-ranked Oilers (35-6-1), put up a valiant effort against starting pitcher Jessica Bowden, but stranded six baserunners and had another runner caught trying to steal third base at key points of the contest.

Pearland opened the game by loading the bases in the first inning but came away with just one run on an RBI base hit by Haley Beam with two outs. In the second inning, Megan Coronado walked and stole second and third base. Leandra Maly then grounded back to Callie Lazarine, but the throw from Lazarine to first base was high and Maly came home on the error for a 2-0 lead.

As the top of the fourth inning was completed, game officials called a delay due to lightening and rain activity in the vicinity. The delay lasted approximately one hour before play resumed and Pearland leading 2-0.

Pearland increased the lead to 3-0 before Taylor finally scored to cut the margin to 3-1.

Pearland answered with a pair of runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-1 lead on a throwing error by Taylor third baseman Kaytlin Haney and a run-scoring single by Chelsea Bennett.

Leading 5-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, Taylor made the game interesting when they scored two runs to make the score 5-3 with two runners on base and the winning run coming to the plate with two outs.

But Bowden got Andi Stallard to ground out to third to end the game.

Bowden ended the game with eight strikeouts and three walks while Jennifer Hooker had one strikeout. Lazarine issued two walks and gave up three first inning hits.

With the regional championship behind them, the Lady Oilers have one last task to complete the trifecta. They have won the district and regional titles and now they will focus on bringing home a state title.

Pearland won the 5A state championship in 1996. Now it is time to win another in 2010.

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