Wild finish!

It was an exciting finish for the softball and baseball teams last week. The Lady Dawgs were defeated by Duncanville in the first round of the playoffs. The Dawgs had a wild finish forcing a regular season playoff game for the fourth spot in the playoffs verses Belton.
The baseball team played Belton the last week of the regular season. Both teams were fighting for a playoff spot. If the Dawgs beat the Tigers both games they would secure the playoff berth. If they won one of the two games they would have to play a playoff game on Saturday. 
Belton won the first game by one run. This set up a situation where the Dawgs must win the final regular season contest forcing a playoff game. The Dawg were one run winners on Friday, forcing the playoff game on Saturday morning. The game on Saturday was exciting and again very close. The Dawgs lost a hard fought game 2-1.
The Lady Dawgs made the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year and had to face the first place Duncanville team. Although they lost both games of the best of three series, the Lady Dawgs have established themselves as a consistent playoff team. The Lady Dawgs have played in the playoffs every season since 2013.
The girls finished with a 17-13-1 record and were a force on the field all year. They began the season winning the runner-up championship spot in the very tough Thorndale tournament. In the Academy tournament the Lady Dawgs captured fourth place competing against highly ranked teams. 
The reason the softball team was so successful this year was because the team possessed some quality talent and excellent coaching. Coach Bryan Waller, in his fourth year as head coach, has produced four consecutive playoff squads. As a head coach, he reached the 300 win mark this season establishing himself as an elite head coach in the state. 
This year’s squad produced some quality hitting and stiff pitching. Seniors Peyton Choate, Riley Collier and sophomore Jayda Carter hit double digit homeruns. Pitcher Elana Montanez racked up 98 strikeouts during district play. She had ten or more strikeouts in four district games. 
The Lady Dawg softball team has built a very respectable reputation. It is enjoyable to witness the feisty girls playing great softball and see the tradition of the program grow. The tradition they have built over recent years could be seen by witnessing former player’s frequenting Lady Dawg softball stadium. Former Lady Dawgs Mia Gonzalez (currently playing on the Schreiner University squad) along with Angel Mullen, Zhianna Johnson, Zoe Frizzell and Rachel Jost all paid visits to Lady Dawg field to watch this year’s squad.
Both the softball and baseball teams had successful seasons. Both were extremely competitive and have established themselves as programs deserving respect. Although, some quality seniors will leave the squads, both programs have some excellent talent returning. Now it will be up to the dedication and sacrifice to continue playing on summer and fall squads to prepare for the next season.
Thought for the week, “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” Thomas Jefferson