The opening round of the UIL Softball playoffs has come and gone.
After an exhilarating series of Bi-District matchups, several big names showcased the talent that the Houston area has come to expect throughout the year.
Lake Creek continues to extend their undefeated streak with the intention of a repeat, while Barbers Hill, Friendswood and Crosby are among the teams who can give the Lions a run for their money through the remainder of the postseason.
This is THE WRAP -- Power Rankings Edition.
H-Town 5A Softball Standouts: Charleigh Esparza (So. C/IF)--Friendswood
Juan De Leon (VYPE)
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Jaiden Cooper (Sr. 1B/P)--Santa Fe
Juan De Leon (VYPE)
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Alanna Routt (Jr. P)--Fulshear
Jamie Wright (VYPE)
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Carmen Uribe (Jr. OF)--Lake Creek
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
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Katlyn Clark (Sr. C)--Crosby
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Hailey Nutter (So. P/UTL)--Barbers Hill
Juan De Leon (VYPE)
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Taylor Crawford (Jr. C)--Kingwood Park
Jamie Wright (VYPE)
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Madison King (Sr. RHP)--Foster
Jamie Wright (VYPE)
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Maddie McKee (Sr. SS)--Lake Creek
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
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Sophie Naivar (Sr. OF)--Barbers Hill
Jaun De Leon (VYPE)
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No. 1--Lake Creek Lions
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
No. 1--Lake Creek Lions
2022-23 Regular Season: 34-0/District 21-5A Champions
Head Coach: Michelle Rochinski
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep (Game 1: W 12-0, Game 2:W 11-1) v. Shoemaker
Round 1 Wrap:
Lake Creek’s series against Shoemaker saw almost the entirety of their roster shine.
From senior RHP Ava Brown’s complete game shutout (12 Ks) in the first match, paired with the impressive series statline of junior OF Carmen Uribe (3-6, 2 RBI, 4 R, 5 SB), senior SS Maddie McKee (2-3. 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB), and senior C Kalee Rochinski (4-4, RBI, 2 2B), the Lions put on a show.
However, an exceptional performance by freshman 2B Madalyn Davis (5-5, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2B, HR) was the icing on the proverbial cake in the Bi-District round.
Area Round Matchup: v. Elgin
No. 2--Barbers Hill Eagles
Juan De Leon (VYPE)
No. 2--Barbers Hill Eagles
2022-23 Regular Season: 32-2/District 17-5A Champions
Head Coach: Aaron Fuller
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: 2-1 Win (Game 1: L 1-2, Game 2: W 6-2, Game 3: W 14-3) v. Angleton
Round 1 Wrap:
Despite falling in the first game, Barbers Hill turned the tables in the subsequent two games in the series.
Sophomore P/UTL Hailey Nutter had herself an impressive series, particularly through her defensive play and at the plate.
Paired with the leadership and experience from seniors Reagan Duty (IF), Sophie Naivar (OF) and KateLynn Cooper (IF) provide, Barbers Hill will look to carry this momentum further into the postseason.
Area Round Matchup: v. Fulshear
No. 3--Foster Falcons
Jamie Wright (VYPE)
No. 3--Foster Falcons
2022-23 Regular Season: 30-3/District 20-5A Champions
Head Coach: Keely McGuire
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep punctuated by a 14-0 Win v. S.F. Austin
Area Round Matchup: v. Crosby
No. 4--Friendswood Mustangs
Juan De Leon (VYPE)
No. 4–Friendswood Mustangs
2022-23 Regular Season: 20-9/District 18-5A Champions
Head Coach: Christa Williams-Yates
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep (Game 1: W 7-0, Game 2: W 10-0) v. Goose Creek Memorial
Round 1 Wrap:
The bats were flying for Friendswood in their series sweep against GCM.
Sophomore C/IF Charleigh Esparza went off, going 5-for-6 with seven RBIs, three doubles and a homerun to top it off. Junior IF Baileigh Burtis also had a top-shelf performance (4-5, 2 RBI, 4 R, 4 2B).
In addition, senior P/IF Janelle Wilson was a force on the mound, maintaining a 0.00 ERA with a total of 19 strikeouts.
The Mustang stampede is just getting started.
Area Round Matchup: v. Lamar Consolidated
No. 5--Crosby Cougars
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
No. 5--Crosby Cougars
2022-23 Regular Season: 26-6/Finished 2nd in District 17-5A
Head Coach: Troy Fox
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series sweep capped off by a 6-0 Win v. La Porte
Round 1 Wrap:
Crosby’s first-round victory over La Porte can be heavily attributed to the clutch hits made by their opportunistic lineup, namely senior C Katlyn Clark (3-3, R), junior 3B Ally Mooneyham (1-4, 2 RBI) and senior OF Madison Garcia (1-3, 2 RBI, 2B, SB).
On the mound, freshman right-hander Tori Dahnke executed a noteworthy postseason debut, throwing a shutout with one strikeout and two walks through seven innings.
The Area Round should provide even more opportunities for the Cougars to shine.
Area Round Matchup: v. Foster
No. 6--Santa Fe Indians
Juan De Leon (VYPE)
No. 6--Santa Fe Indians
2022-23 Regular Season: 24-5-1/Finished 2nd in District 18-5A
Head Coach: Andrew Whittington
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep (Game 1: W 12-2, Game 2: W 5-3) v. Port Neches-Groves
Round 1 Wrap:
The offensive effort for Santa Fe was bolstered by senior 1B/P Jaiden Cooper who went 3-for-7 in the two-game sweep, with three RBIs, three runs scored, plus a double and a homerun.
Sophomore UTL Mikayla Pruitt put up some respectable stats as well (3-8, RBI, R).
To top it off, senior P/IF Sidne Peters was a valuable asset both at-bat (2-7, 3 RBI, 2B) and on the pitcher’s mound (19 Ks).
Area Round Matchup: v. Terry
No. 7--Fulshear Chargers
Jamie Wright (VYPE)
No. 7–Fulshear Chargers
2022-23 Regular Season: 24-9/Finished 2nd in District 20-5A
Head Coach: Danielle Parker
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep capped off by a 16-0 Win v. Northside
Round 1 Wrap:
As expected, the favored Fulshear took care of business against Northside.
The series was highlighted by a dominant 16-0 victory, which provided some excellent batting by sophomores, Gabriella Castillo (3-3, 3 R, 2B, 3B), Amelia Gutierrez (3-4, 3 R, RBI, R) and Ryan Stratman (2-2, 3 RBI, R, 2B).
Furthermore, the pitching effort made by juniors, Alanna Routt (9 Ks) and Blayre Meadows (3 Ks) proved to be too much for Northside.
Fulshear will aim to carry this momentum into this week, when they face an equally talented Barbers Hill.
Area Round Matchup: v. Barbers Hill
No. 8--Porter Spartans
Photo acquired via Twitter: @PHSSOFTBALL9
No. 8--Porter Spartans
2022-23 Regular Season: 20-9/District 16-5A Champions
Head Coach: Alicia Evans-Pickens
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep v. Hallsville
Area Round Matchup: v. Melissa
No. 9--Kingwood Park Panthers
Jamie Wright (VYPE)
No. 9--Kingwood Park Panthers
2022-23 Regular Season: 23-10/Finished 3rd in District 16-5A
Head Coach: Kelsie McEachern
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep (Game 1: W 3-0, Game 2: W 6-2) v. Whitehouse
Area Round Matchup: v. Forney
No. 10--Lamar Consolidated Mustangs
Jamie Wright (VYPE)
No. 10--Lamar Consolidated Mustangs
2022-23 Regular Season: 20-7/Finished 3rd in District 20-5A
Head Coach: Noah Cardenas
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: Series Sweep (Game 1: W 10-0, Game 2: W 12-1) v. Waltrip
Area Round Matchup: v. Friendswood