The season came to an end for the Corsicana Tiger softball team Friday night with a 5-0 loss to Royse City.
The Lady Bulldogs are the No. 10-ranked team in the state and led by ace pitcher Alicia Pille. Pille was near perfect again as she held the Tigers scoreless for 23 innings during the two games in the series. Thursday night in game one she was perfect for nine innings before allowing a hit in the tenth.
Friday night she was perfect through four innings before giving up a hit to Betsy Woodall in the fifth inning. The Tigers most serious scoring threat came in the seventh when Katie Cook had a leadoff walk but was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice by Haley Barber. Betsy Woodall followed with a drive toro left center for her second hit of the game.
But that would be it for the threat as Pille struck out the next two hitter’s to end the game. Pille followed her 31 strikeout 16-inning performance with a 13-strikeout complete game shutout.
Sydney Kirk started on the mound for Coach Elizabeth Collier as Betsy Woodall was feeling the effects of 16 innings pitched on Thursday night and an injured foot that she has battled all season.
Kirk was able to pitch around a two-out single by Kyla Simmons who advanced to third on a stolen base and a passed ball by inducing a ground ball to Haley Brown who was able to field the ball and throw Pille out at first base.
In the second inning Kourtney Kelly, who would reach base four times in the game after reaching five times the previous night, lead off the inning with a walk. An errant throw to first base left runners at first and second with no outs. Kirk was able to get a strikeout for the first out of the inning but gave up an RBI single to No. 9 hitter Hailey Williams.
Kirk was able to hold the Lady Bulldogs scoreless until the fifth inning when leadoff hitter Preslei Morrow hit line shot to right center. After getting Krissy Tubb to strike out, Kyla Simmons had an RBI double to score Morrow.
After loading the bases Kirk faced Tori Green and after a long 10-pitch at-bat she issued a full count walk on a close pitch that drove in the third run of the game and then Brianna Wacyk had a two-run double. At this point Betsy Woodall entered the game and was able to get out of the inning and end the threat.
This was a turnaround season for the softball program as Collier in her third season as the head coach was able to return her team to the playoffs and reach the second round. The program will lose seniors Betsy Woodall and Haley Barber.
They have had a big part in returning this program to the playoffs. There is a strong young nucleus in the program with additional talent in the program. Friday night offered a preview of the future with a battery of freshmen Sydney Kirk and Demi Dotson as well as seven starters that will return.
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