AUSTIN, Texas — It was third time's the charm for the Lady Wildcats Saturday afternoon, as Calallen topped Liberty 9-7 to win their first Class 4A UIL State Championship in program history.
“It feels amazing. I mean when I first went in 2021 it felt spectacular to be here," Alaunah Almaraz, Calallen junior third baseman, said. "It feels even better to get the gold.”
An early lead for the Liberty was not enough to stave off a hungry Lady Cats offense seeking redemption after dropping a title game to the Panthers in 2021.
Liberty took the early 0-3 lead in the the first inning, as Calallen was able to piece together one run behind a SAC-fly from Alaunah Almaraz.
The game went radio silent for the next two innings, before Alaunah Almaraz kissed a ball goodbye over the wall for a solo home run to cut the lead, 2-3.
Calallen junior Alaunah Almaraz starts the fourth with a SOLO HOME RUN in Austin! 🥎💣 Lady Cats are down 3-2.
— KRIS 6 Sports (@KRIS6sports) June 3, 2023
Later in the fourth, Makenzie Mounts then hit a 2-RBI double to give the Lady Cats the lead in the contest, 4-3.
“I just saw it right down the middle. I mean, I saw it," Mounts, Calallen junior and UIL 4A state MVP, said. "Watched my hands go through the ball, and I knew I had to come up in a big moment for my team and it just felt easy to me and I’m so happy I pulled through for them.”
Kayden Trevino added to the fourth with a SAC-fly to put the Lady Cats up 5-3, but Liberty was eager to bounce back in the next inning. The Lady Panthers loaded the bases with two outs, but would have been a nice shallow hit to the outfield turned into an incredible catch from Mia Flores to end the frame.
“Run. I told myself to run and catch. Run and catch it, yeah, and I had to do it for my team because bases were loaded," Mia Flores, Calallen junior outfielder, said. "That wouldn’t have been good at all.”
Hey @SportsCenter you should take a look at this #SCTop10 play! Liberty with bases juiced in the UIL 4A state championship, down 4-3 with 2 outs in the 5th, Calallen's Mia Flores makes the diving catch to end the frame! INCREDIBLE! Calallen wins their first state title 9-7. https://t.co/0IDhADUohQ pic.twitter.com/iss5P6ODlA
— Larissa Liska (@LarissaLiska) June 3, 2023
Calallen added four more runs in the fifth, and despite a small scoring run from the Panthers in the final two innings, Calallen held on for the 9-7 win.
“The girls were playing selfless and I couldn’t be more proud of them. It means the world to our community. It means the world to softball in our area. You know, I just hope this just gives fuel to not just our program but other programs all around us that we do have what it takes," Teresa Flores Lentz, Calallen softball head coach, said. "We have amazing teams in South Texas. It’s bigger than just Calallen. I hope people understand that and it’s something that I’ve dreamed of since I was little. I’m from Corpus, and too many times they look at us and they disrespect us and you can see it. We’ve got to change that, and this is the first step so we got to continue that. It can’t just be us. It has got to be everyone, and we got to do our part and represent.”
Calallen freshman pitcher Jordyn Thibodeaux pitched the entire game allowing 11 hits, 7 runs while walking 4 batters and delivering 4 strikeouts.
“I knew that even if they hit the defense was behind me to get them out," Thibodeaux said. "I felt really happy for them and trusting them that they could get the out.”
They DID IT!!! @Calallen_SBall gets revenge from Liberty winning the UIL 4A state championship 9-7! FIRST Corpus Christi team to win state and third in the Coastal Bend (George West - 2010 and Santa Gertrudis Academy - 2018). pic.twitter.com/EpX4DVkast
— KRIS 6 Sports (@KRIS6sports) June 3, 2023
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