Amber Binder has always been one of the loudest voices in the Bryan Lady Vikings' dugout. Now she's making noise on the field.

Binder, one of five seniors on Bryan's area finalists, played a key defensive role in the series victory over Leander last weekend in bi-district.

"She came up huge defensively in that first game," Bryan coach Enrique Luna said. "They started hitting the ball late, got a little rally going and she made three unbelievable plays in the outfield back to back to back."

Binder made a sliding catch for one out and robbed another Leander batter of extra bases with a running catch in Bryan's 7-2 Game 1 victory.

Luna used Binder in both right and left field in the series, depending on who was in the pitching circle.

"If Michelle [Stratta] is pitching, she will play in right field because she gets rid of the ball quicker," Luna said. "A lot of time when they hit to right field off Michelle it will be slow dribblers, and she can get the girls out at first. She's got the quickest release out of our outfielders."

Binder had seven putouts in the series against Leander. But as good as she is defensively, she's almost as active in the dugout.

"She and Courtney Ford have been huge on the bench," said a smiling Luna. "We pride ourselves on not being obnoxiousbut on being loud. She and Courtney do a great job of getting the team up, and those are the two voices that I always hear."

Binder enjoys the cheerleading part of her softball duties.

"I'm probably the loudest one," Binder said. "I like to start the cheers, and me and Courtney are usually the one who are the loudest in here. It's what we do. It's intimidating to other teams, and it get us pumped and motivated at the same time. It's loud and distracting, and we can get into the pitcher's head."

Binder has had to earn her spot in the batting order but began seeing more time at the plate in district play.

"She has been putting the ball in play and is probably one of our best bunters, if not the best," Luna said. "She got us started in Game 1, gave us the lead with a ground ball to the right side. It was exactly what we needed to get the run in."

To improve her hitting, Binder has used Luna's advice.

"He has me slapping more, which gets it on the ground, and I'm pretty fast so I can beat it out sometimes," Binder said. "Usually when I'm at bat, there are people on, so I just hit them around. In our first playoff game, I had the first RBI, but I'm not really a power hitter."

As a senior, Binder has taken a leadership role on what Luna calls his "five seniors and a bunch of babies." Although she had been playing softball for years, much of Binder's concentration in high school had been on volleyball.

"Softball wasn't really my thing, I guess, but this year I changed my mind," Binder said. "Last year, I wasn't upset that I wasn't playing too much because Alex [Survant] and Vicki [Recek] were holding down the outfield, and I'm not really an infielder. This year, I think I've earned it."

Now Binder's Lady Vikings will need to beat one of their fiercest rivals to earn a trip to the regional quarterfinals.

Bryan won an earlier meeting with Tomball this season in the Elkins tournament, beating the Lady Cougars 9-7. It was part of Tomball's season-long five-game losing streak.

Tomball finished fourth in District 16-5A but has won five straight games, including a sweep of 15-5A champion Magnolia (3-2 and 1-0) in bi-district. Shelby Lancaster struck out seven in the clinching one-hit shutout.

Now a sophomore, Lancaster led Tomball to the regional semifinals last season.

"She's got a good curveball that curves away from the batters and a riseball that kicks in with good speed," Luna said.

Bryan, which finished third in 13-5A, probably would be considered the favorite in against Tomball, but Binder believes the top dog role has been a rarity in 2008 for the Lady Vikings.

"No one thinks we can do anything this year, so they've underestimated us," Binder said. "Right now, we are ready for the game and know what to do. Early on, I don't think we were as focused. It took us awhile to click, but I think we have."

She is the only one of the Lady Vikings' seniors who has not committed to play college softball. She's thinking about it, though.

"I'm going to Angelina [College], and they are starting their program next year," Binder said. "Hopefully, I can try out and maybe walk on."

NOTES -- Bryan leads Tomball 12-11 in their overall series, which includes several district games. Bryan has never lost to Tomball in the playoffs. Bryan won 3-1 in area in 2000 and won 11-6 in a regional game. ... The Lady Vikings broke or tied four school records in the Leander series. Michelle Stratta is tied for the most runs in a season with 40, only the second player in school history to score 40 runs. Catcher Calli Wood set school records with her 56th hit and 42nd RBI of the year. Kristin Lara's 24 walks is also a new Bryan single-season mark.

• David Campbell's e-mail address is david.campbell@theeagle.com.