LIBERTY HEADING BACK TO STATE
Your Class 4A Region III Champion Liberty Lady Panthers
Liberty's Hailee Etheridge does her usual backflip as she is announced before the game on Saturday evening at Texas A&M University.
Bullard's Kirstin Malone barely beats the tag applied by Liberty third baseman Reese Evans on Saturday evening at Texas A&M University.
Bailee Slack of Liberty is pumped up after her sixth inning triple against Bullard on Saturday in game three of the Class 4A Regional Championship series. Lady Panthers Head Coach Karen Slack looks on.
College Station - When the Liberty Lady Panthers put their mind to something, they usually get what they want.
After dropping game one on Wednesday night to Bullard in their Class 4A Regional Championship Series, Liberty never panicked and bounced back to win game two handly.
On Saturday night, in an exciting edge-of-your-seat game three, Liberty was not going to be denied as they were the last team standing in a 2-1 eight-inning victory over Bullard to win Region III, and for the third straight year, advanced back to the State Tournament in Austin.
Liberty will be looking for its fourth state title after winning it in 2018, 2021, and 2022.
"These girls are just tough and they know what needed to be done," said Liberty Head Coach Karen Slack. "It was a great series, and both teams played hard."
Tied at 1-apiece heading to the bottom of the eighth inning, Bailee Slack reached on a single and promptly stole second base. Reese Evans then hit a soft grounder back to the Bullard pitcher that was thrown wide to third base trying to get Slack out and Liberty had runners on second and third with one out.
Hollie Thomas lifted a fly ball to the left/center field that was plenty deep, allowing Slack to score standing up, and the celebration was on.
"I was just looking for a pitch to drive, and she threw me something inside and I just turned on it," said Thomas. "I knew as soon as I hit it that Bailee would be able to score.
For Slack, it was the sixth run she has scored in the last two wins.
"I knew once I got on third, I was going to score," said Slack. "I had no doubt that Hollie was going to get the job done."
Liberty's Brookelyn Taylor struck out 11 and allowed just five hits in getting the win on the mound.
"I am so excited we are heading to the State Tournament and I am looking forward to getting on that mound at McCombs Field," said Taylor.
Bullard loaded the bases in the opening inning with nobody out, only to see Taylor and her teammates escape the jam without allowing a single run.
That would prove to be big as the game went on.
In the top of the third inning, Bullard's Matti Max delivered an RBI single to get her team a 1-0 lead.
Hadi Fults of Bullard retired the first 12 Liberty hitters before an Alex Wiley single in the fifth.
In the sixth inning, Slack hit a fly ball to center field that landed between two Bullard outfielders who collided and that would allow the junior to race for third base with a triple.
Reese Evans lifted a little blooper down the third base line that would fall and Slack would score, knotting the game at one.
After a scoreless seventh inning, Taylor would strike out the side in the top of the eighth inning, setting up the game-winner by Thomas in the bottom half of the frame.
Slack finished with two hits and scored both runs for Liberty at the plate.
Liberty will now face Decatur on Thursday at 4 pm at McCombs Field at the University of Texas.