Mesquite Horn ends Consol's season

TROY -- A&M Consolidated's stay in the state softball playoffs and the careers of an accomplished senior class ended quickly and quietly in a 3-0 loss to Mesquite Horn on Saturday afternoon.

Horn swept the Class 5A bi-district series, which began with a 7-6, 10-inning victory Friday night at Troy High School. The Lady Jaguars (25-8) knocked Consol out of the playoffs for the second consecutive season, advancing to the area round to face District 10-5A champion Rowlett.

Consol finished the season 21-13, failing to win at least one playoff series for the first time in three years.

The Lady Tigers reached the regional semifinals in 2009 and advanced to the regional quarterfinals last year, but saw this season end early despite a lineup that featured seven seniors. Consol's experience didn't stand up to a Horn team that started three sophomores and two freshmen.

Horn handled the windy conditions better, playing superior defense and hitting better in the clutch.

"You have to give them a lot of credit because they made the plays," Consol coach Billy Hicks said. "We had two line drives that they caught. If those just fall, it could be a different game. It was a matter of inches almost on a couple of those plays."

The gap on defense was wide throughout the series. Horn junior shortstop Hayley Lemonds was terrific in both games, while left fielder Delaney Brey and center fielder Jordan Bratcher made diving catches Saturday. Meanwhile, Consol committed five errors Saturday after a couple of costly misplays in the opener.

Consol senior Sarah Halliwell pitched well enough to overcome most of the Saturday fielding lapses, with Horn scoring one unearned run. However, that was enough to beat the Lady Tigers, who were shut out for the first time all season.

Horn junior Danielle Najera rendered her so-so regular season statistics (8-5, 2.70 ERA) meaningless by baffling the Lady Tigers in the clincher. Consol had at least one hit in six of seven innings, but could manage more than one only in the sixth.

Halliwell and Kayley Smith had one-out singles and Consol got runners to second on third on an illegal pitch, but Najera enticed the next batter to lift a fly ball into shallow center and then got a bounce out to escape unharmed.

"I'm so proud of [Najera] to pitch the way she did, battling the elements, battling the crowd yelling 'illegal pitch' and this and that," Consol coach Patty Dyer said. "She kept her cool and pitched her game. She hit her spots and did amazing."

The elements -- namely a strong wind blowing in from center field -- worked in Horn's favor as the Lady Tigers made 10 fly-ball outs on a day begging for grounders and line drives.

Consol was 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, and the only hit in those situations was of the infield variety. For the series, the Lady Tigers managed 2 hits in 17 opportunities with runners at second or third.

"We hit too many fly balls," Hicks said. "We didn't get the big hit when we needed it."

The sad tone was set in the bottom of the first Saturday. Speedy leadoff hitter Jordan Bettiol reached on a bunt and stole second to put Consol in business, but the next three batters popped out.

Smith, a junior, went 2 for 3 and was the only Consol player with more than one hit.

Halliwell (12-7) gave Consol a valiant effort. Halliwell did not pitch during the first month of the season while recovering from therapy to treat thoracic outlet syndome, and her availability was uncertain after she threw 158 pitches in a complete game Friday night. Although Horn used a different pitcher, Halliwell returned to pitch all seven innings in the finale, limiting the Lady Jags to six hits while throwing 101 pitches.

"Halliwell had a gutsy effort," Hicks said. "She did everything we asked her to."

Horn scored in the top of the first on a double by Melanie Jaegers and a two-out single by Bratcher. The Lady Jaguars added two runs in the third, bunching three consecutive hits with two Consol errors.

Horn 3, Consol 0

Horn 102 000 0 -- 3 6 1

Consol 000 000 0 -- 0 7 5

Sarah Halliwell and Dayton Kunz. Danielle Najera and Miranda Dupree. W -- Najera, 9-5. L -- Halliwell, 12-7. 2B -- Horn: Melanie Jaegers, Andrea Trevino. 3B -- Consol: Sydney Parks. Records -- Consol 21-13, Horn 25-8. Time -- 1:34.