After defeating Lubbock Coronado, 9-0, in the opening game of the regional semifinals, Plano East softball head coach Karen Kalhoefer challenged her team to forget that victory and come out hungry in Game 2.

Consider that challenge accepted.

Saturday in Abilene, the Lady Panthers barraged the Lady Mustangs for 13 combined runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to pick up a 13-1 victory, close of the best-of-three series sweep and secure a spot in the regional finals.

"When you play a team that is a little different than what you are used to, it can be easy to play at their level," said Chandler Cink, East senior outfielder. "But we didn't do that, which was very reassuring and I think it shows we are a strong team."

East's bats hammered that point home Saturday.

The Lady Panthers took a 3-0 lead in the third thanks to a single from sophomore Destiny Garza, walk to sophomore Haley Wisdom, RBI single from Cink, RBI squeeze bunt from senior Rachel Scott and Coronado throwing error. That lead increased to 5-0 in the fourth following a two-run homer by junior Sarah Morales.

That looked like it would be more than enough for Lady Panthers senior pitcher Holly Kern, who had met no resistance through the first three frames.

That changed in the fourth.

"Holly pitched great [in Game 2] and really had everything working for her," Kalhoefer said. "But she also wasn't feeling well; we had to continually keep her hydrated, put cool rags on her and I think it all started to get to her a little in the fourth."

Kern walked the bases loaded to start the inning.

Coronado plated a run with a single from Tori Ruiz, the Lady Mustangs' lone hit of the game, but wouldn't score another thanks in large part to Wisdom. The East left fielder made a put out and then fired a shot to junior catcher K.K. Stevens, who tagged Ciarra Galindo out at the plate.

"You could feel the tension in that inning," Wisdom said. "I wasn't nervous, but I knew I made to make that throw and get the out or they were going to score."

Instead, Coronado was only able to knock one run off its deficit to make it 5-1.

East would more than make up for that run in the top of the fifth, scoring eight times.

"We started a little slow on offense," Kalhoefer said. "We were having trouble with the wind; we kept popping the ball up and it would just hang in the air. But we were able to make some adjustments and then really got going."

As was the case in the third, East used a slow burn to pile up the runs.

Scott led off the fifth with a walk and then Kern singled to put runners on at first and second base. The RBI parade began after that with Stevens, Garza (who also had five putouts), Scott and Kern pushing runs in. The Lady Panthers scored off another Coronado error and pushed across two more following a double off the wall from junior Jacque Anthony.

That gave East a 13-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, where Kern closed out her complete-game, 1-hitter to give Coronado its first run-rule loss in two years.

"I was extremely proud of the girls (in Game 2)," Kalhoefer said. "After we won that first game, 9-0, it would have been easy to suffer a letdown or to let up, but they refused to do that and really came out playing well."

Saturday's victory pushed East into the Region I Finals.

"I told the girls on the way home that they have a lot to be proud," Kalhoefer said. "Making the final eight is a huge accomplishment and if they want to be proud with just that, they can be proud. But if they want more, then let's go."

To get more, namely the third trip to the Class 5A State Tournament in program history, East will have to defeat district foe Hebron in the regional finals.

That's not terribly surprising given the reign of destruction 8-5A has brought in the playoffs. East, Hebron, Plano Senior and Flower Mound are a combined 18-1 against non-district opponents this postseason with the only teams eliminating 8-5A squads being other 8-5A squads.

"Not to discredit any of the other teams in the playoffs, but I felt confident our region would come down to teams from this district," Kalhoefer said. "It should be a fun game against Hebron. They have a very good team, so it's going to come down to taking advantage of the situations you are given and hitting the ball well."

The margin for error in the regional finals has been reduced as Hebron won the coin flip and opted for a one-game series.

That game is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Allen.

"I'm excited about a one-gamer," Kern said. "It means we are going to need to jump on them, but it also means I can put all I've got into this one game."

East beat Hebron twice during the regular season (8-1 and 11-1), but Hawks standout pitcher Heather Stearns didn't thrown in the second game. And being the better team in district hasn't meant much in the playoffs as Plano beat Hebron twice during the 8-5A slate and Flower Mound did the same to East, but both found themselves on the losing end in the playoff rematch.

The Lady Panthers don't wan to suffer that same fate.

"It's an exciting time because we can finally see the state tournament in our grasp," Kern said. "But at the same time, if we don't play our best Friday, this could be our last game."

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