81-0.
The last team to have beaten Lake Creek two years ago in the Regional Finals was none other than... Barbers Hill. The Eagles went on to win State that season. Lake Creek went unblemished last season to win State, so something had to give.
The matchup between Lake Creek and Barbers Hill was the most anticipated series in the UIL Softball postseason thus far. The Lions came in as the No. 1 team in country and Barbers Hill was the third-ranked team in the nation going into the game.
Suffice it to say, the two H-Town 5A powerhouses did not disappoint.
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Team Huddle w/ HC Michelle Rochinski
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Carmen Uribe At-Bat
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Ava Brown pumps up the crowd
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Kalee Rochinski behind the plate
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Maddie McKee w/ Coach Rochinski
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Alyson Higginbotham At-Bat
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Ava Brown on the mound
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Rochinski Family meeting
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Jolie Bazan At-Bat
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Postgame Celebration
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Over the weekend, fan bases were flocking to the neutral location of Grand Oak High School to witness the spectacle. So much so, that there wasn’t enough room in the stands prompting spectators to watch from the rafters of the adjacent baseball field’s seating.
“It’s fun being able to put on a show, especially for the younger crowd and the fans,” said Lake Creek’s senior catcher Kalee Rochinski. “The fan-support is insane and that helps our drive and motivation to win and want to do bigger things.”
The matchup was as close as it gets, primarily because of the pitching battle between Barbers Hill’s Hailey Nutter (So.) and Lake Creek’s senior right-hander Ava Brown (Florida-signee). The two aces combined for over 40 strikeouts in the series, which left little room for error on the batting side.
Lions' freshman Madalyn Davis ended up being the difference-maker in Game 1, with a walk-off RBI-single to give Lake Creek the 1-0 series advantage.
Friday’s Game 2 face-off provided slightly more action off the bat, with Rochinski initiating the scoring with a two-RBI double in the top of the first.
Subsequently, Barbers Hill would rally to score three runs in the third, making the score 3-2 before Lake Creek would tie the game in inning No. 5, on a bases-loaded HBP.
However, the play that decided the series came off a drag bunt in extra innings, made by none other than Madalyn Davis.
When attempting to throw Davis out at first, the Eagles 3B overthrew the ball into an empty right field allowing both courtesy-runner Abigail Etsay (Fr. UTL) and Davis to run home. That made the score 5-3 and eventually completed the sweep for Lake Creek to advance on to the Regional Finals.
Considering the reigning State Champs have become accustomed to winning games by five runs or more, this gave the Lake Creek stars an opportunity to showcase their resiliency.
“I feel like playing good competition, as a good team, proves how good you really are,” Ava Brown said. “Winning games by 10 runs... yeah, you’re good, but what competition did you face? Coming into this week we knew we’d have some good competition with Barbers Hill, but I felt like we capitalized great.”
Lake Creek will be facing Georgetown, starting Thursday at Mumford High School, to decide who goes to Austin for the UIL State Tournament.
The Lions are loaded with college-bound athletes, and they will be bringing an entourage of supporters -- not to mention a record 81-consecutive win streak -- to the Regional Finals, as the last remaining Houston team in Class 5A softball.
“This is an insane feeling -- one that not many people get to experience,” Rochinski said. “We take advantage of the time that we have to play on the field with these girls. We don’t waste any moment of it, we’re grateful for everything. This is for the city.”