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Softball: Marcus downs Coppell, advances to regional semifinals
BY JUSTIN THOMAS, Staff writer
LEWISVILLE — With two outs and the go-ahead run heading home in the top of the seventh inning of their regional quarterfinal game against Coppell, Marcus left fielder Danielle Blocker knew she had to make a perfect throw to the plate.
She did, gunning down Coppell’s Sarah Whitehead to keep the game tied.
Then, she delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh to propel Marcus into the regional semifinals with a 5-4 win.
Blocker added when she let the ball go, she felt like it was a good throw. Then, she came through with the key hit.
“I knew we had to score because they had just came back to tie it,” Blocker said. “We needed to score and not let it go on. I wanted to have a good at bat and hit the ball hard because in my first at bat I didn’t do anything.”
The Lady Marauders will face Lubbock Coronado in the regional semifinals at a time and place to be determined. It is their first return to the regional semifinals since Marcus reached the Class 5A state tournament in 2007.
Coppell, which reached the regional semis last season, lost to District 6-5A foe Marcus three times this season.
“It was a very thrilling game,” said Marcus coach Christy Tumilty. “We knew coming into the game that it was going to be a battle. They’re in our district and they’re a great team. It didn’t matter what happened in district play. This is the playoffs and they’re stepping up. What they did in the seventh inning coming back is very typical of their team. Danielle made a play, the play of the game, getting that out at home and then stepping out and getting the hit for us.”
Marcus starting pitcher Heather Foust, who won twice in district play against Coppell — including tossing a shutout in a 1-0 win April 20 in Flower Mound — appeared to be cruising again.
Foust held the Cowgirls off the scoreboard for the first six innings, scattering three hits while allowing just four balls out of the infield.
But, in the top of the seventh, the heart of the Cowgirls showed.
Trailing, 4-0, Coppell designated player Shelby Van Maanen singled to left. Cleanup hitter Rachel Foreshaw followed with a walk and third baseman Tricia Van Winkle singled to shallow right field to load the bases.
Tumilty visited Foust on the mound before facing Coppell shortstop Marisa Malazzo, but it was to no avail, as Malazzo laced a double to right field, bringing home two runs and the go-ahead run to the plate.
After Foust got Coppell’s Amber Clifford to pop out, Cowgirl second baseman Kelsey Latta — who hit the ball hard in each of her three appearances including a double in the third — hit a sharp single to bring Coppell within 4-3 with runners at first and third.
Whitehead followed with an RBI-fielders choice and remained at first when Latta was tagged out advancing to second.
The Lady Marauders had a chance to get out of the inning on the next at bat, but Marcus was unable to smoothly make the exchange from shortstop to second base for a force out, giving Coppell another chance.
With runners at first and second and on the first pitch to Coppell left fielder Madison Buckley, the Cowgirls attempted a double-steal.
Whitehead reached third and was sent home when the throw bounced past third and into left field. But, Blocker delivered the perfect throw to catcher Sarah Draheim, who applied the tag.
“I told the team ‘It’s your choice right now. It can be the end your season, or you make a little something happen,’” said Coppell coach Katie Krug. “They fired it up and got it going, unfortunately (Marcus) is just a great hitting team and they battled it out in the end. If we could have started a few innings earlier it could have been different, but it was an awesome job of coming back.
“(Blocker) made a great throw,” Krug added. “But, you have to take risks and make things happen. It just so happened that tonight was their night.”
Devon Wallace, who reached base three times and had two RBIs, started Marcus’ rally in the bottom of the seventh by drawing a one-out walk. Foust followed with her second hit of the night, a drag-bunt single, to put the winning run in scoring position with one out.
Coppell pitcher Peyton Mosley retired Draheim, but with two outs and a one-and-one count, Blocker came through again, lining the game-winning hit to right field to score Wallace.
“I just asked the girls ‘what are you made of?’” Tumilty said. “This is the playoffs. What do you have inside of you? It’s been our game since the first inning, lets go take it back.”
Mosley pitched a complete game for the Cowgirls, making her second start in as many nights.
She started all three games in Coppell’s area-round series against Plano, including the deciding third game, in part because Coppell was without the services of pitcher Laura Ramos (broken finger).
She allowed three runs on three hits with a walk in the second inning, and a run on an RBI-single by Marcus’ Kacie Hildreth in the third, before settling in to retire 11 consecutive Marcus hitters until Wallace’s one-out walk in the seventh.
“(Mosley) pitched an awesome game,” Krug said. “She came in and pitched her heart out every single game in the playoffs. She did an outstanding job and I couldn’t ask anything more. She kept her composure, settled down and put more movement on the ball. They just got some big hits in the last inning.”
Marcus will move on to face Lubbock Coronado who defeated Mansfield Summit Tuesday in their regional quarterfinal game.
“We’ve scouted (Coronado),” Tumilty said. “And, now it’s time to start focusing on them. We have to continue to put the ball in play. And, it was good to see our defense step up and make some plays. In the last few games, there hasn’t been a lot of pressure put on them, so it’s hard to keep them sharp. Tonight, they got the job done.”
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