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The Weimar Ladycats softball team stayed firmly at their spot in third on the TGCA state rankings after shutting out a fellow top ten 2A team in the state. The #10 Milano Lady Eagles battled the Ladycats to a competitive first game to start the series before Weimar took full control in game two to finish the sweep victory with two straight shutout wins. Victory in the regional semifinals set up a rematch series between district rivals the #4 Shiner Lady Comanches in the regional finals. The two teams split their matchups during the district season with Shiner taking game one by a 13-4 margin and Weimar taking the second by a score of 11-4. This tiebreaking matchup will have significantly more stakes as the winner will be representing the district in the State Championship Game.
Game 1, W, 2-0
Weimar’s game one victory against Milano did not come easy as the Ladycats battled through a defensive bout against one of the state’s top defenses. The teams held each other scoreless through four innings of play until Weimar got the scoreboard moving with a single run in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice bunt by Claire Pavlu. The Ladycats went scoreless again in the sixth inning before responding with an insurance run in the seventh batted in by Izzy Reeves third hit of the day and her second double.
Reeves led the way at the plate with three of the team’s seven hits in the game. Two of which, including the seventh-inning RBI knock, went for multiple bases as doubles. Reagan Wick and Kaelyn Williams had a double each with their lone hits.
Wick also had an effective game on the mound as she dominated the Milano batters. Wick struck out 12 batters while allowing just two hits in an impressive performance that stifled the Lady Eagles’ offense and helped leave them scoreless.
Game 2, W, 5-0
The Ladycats continued their defensive effort in the second game of the series as they held their opponents to a second straight shutout. This time, they had much more impact with their hitting as they increased their score total despite having less hits. Weimar still held the hitting advantage with four hits to Milano’s two. The Ladycats got their scoring started earlier in this game than in their first after their lone run in the third inning. Weimar followed up that inning with two runs in the fourth and two more runs in the sixth to reach their final scoreline and establish an imposing advantage over their opponents. The Ladycats never had to return to the plate for the seventh as the Lady Eagles’ last chance to break the shutout was broken by the final out of the game.
Weimar had some impact hitting performances offensively, but they were also aided by five Milano errors as the Ladycats took advantage of mistakes. Kylie Helmcamp led the team with two hits while Reagan Wick led the team in RBIs with two.
Wick took the mound again in game two and had an even better performance after sizing up Milano’s batters in game one. Wick finished with 16 strikeouts while still allowing just two hits to the Lady Eagles’ offense.
