The Texas high school softball playoffs are heating up, and Wednesday night delivered some unforgettable action. Melissa continued its dominant march toward a third consecutive state title with a resounding 11-1 victory over Frisco Reedy in a Class 5A Division I area-round playoff game at McKinney Boyd.
From the very first pitch, Melissa made a statement. Bradyn Young launched a two-run homer on just the second at-bat of the game, setting the tone for an explosive six-run first inning. Freshman Ana Gonzales then cleared the bases with a three-run double, giving pitcher Eloisa Maes all the run support she would need. "We knew that being the visitor, we wanted to attack early," said Melissa coach Cassie Crabtree. "We knew that if we could score a couple of runs early, that would put the pressure on them, and that's what we were able to do."
With that early cushion, Maes took full control in the circle. The ace tossed a complete-game three-hitter, striking out 10 batters to improve to 21-2 on the season. "Having my team with such good bats and run support is such a relief," Maes said. "They made my job so much easier." The Lady Cardinals—who have now won 25 straight games and sit at 30-2 overall—kept the pressure on throughout. Hutton Adrian added a two-run homer in the second inning, her 18th of the season, and Kennedy Bradley followed with her 19th homer in the sixth. Melissa added single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to seal the rout. Reedy managed just one run in the first inning on a single, walk, and wild pitch, but Maes retired 14 of the next 15 batters to silence the Lions, who saw their 11-game winning streak come to an end.
Meanwhile, in another marquee matchup, Waxahachie extended its winning streak to 29 games with a 4-1 victory over Royse City in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series. Freshman sensation Maci Barnes was simply unstoppable, pitching a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts while also homering to lead her team. Barnes is now a perfect 22-0 this season. Sophomore Michaela Landers didn't go deep, but she went 2-for-3 and scored two runs, continuing a remarkable season that has already seen her break the state record for home runs. With the playoffs in full swing, both Melissa and Waxahachie are proving why they are among the most feared teams in Texas softball.