Softball out-slugs Bandera to keep playoff hopes alive

With their loss to Canyon Lake last Tuesday, the Wimberley softball team needed to win their two games against Bandera and Davenport to avoid a tiebreaker scenario.

Heading into the literal dog pound in Bandera, it was up to the Texans to keep their playoff hopes alive.

After trailing 6-0 to Bandera, Wimberley fought back to knock off the Bulldogs 22- 17 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The win firmly puts Wimberley in the driver’s seat clinching a playoff berth needing one more win to seal fourth place.

Bandera went up 2-0 on the Texans in the first inning with a combination of an RBI single and a Wimberley error on the same play.

The Bulldogs base running in the second inning earned them another run as Bandera extended the lead at 3-0.

Bandera continued to pour it on in the third inning as a groundout RBI and a two-run RBI single pushed the lead out to 6-0.

However Wimberley wasn’t out of it yet.

Loading the bases in the top of the fourth inning, Bandera walked in a run to give Wimberley’s first score at 6-1.

Facing two outs, Ashlyn Castro hit a grand slam to clear the bases and put Wimberley within striking distance at 6-5.

After Juniper Daniel walked, Addison Kirbo hit her in with a two out RBI double to tie the game up at 6-6.

Peyton Smith was able to score Kirbo with a two out RBI double as the Texans took the lead at 7-6 before extending to 8-6.

After holding Bandera off the scoreboard, Wimberley continued to pour the heat.

Mackenzie Moore delivered a two-out RBI single to extend the lead at 9-6.

A Bandera error allowed Moore to score before Daniel hit an RBI triple to extend the lead at 11-6.

Kirbo then hit a two out 2-run home run to make it 13-6.

Bandera closed the gap by scoring three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make 13-9.

The Texans responded by loading the bases the next inning with no outs.

Jordan Lynch then cleared the bases with a RBI double but scored herself after a Bandera throwing error to make 17-9.

The Texans then loaded the bases again before adding another two runs to extend the lead at 19-9.

Wimberley ended the inning with another two more runs to extend the lead at 21- 9.

The 6th inning Bandera looked to cut into the lead by scoring three more runs to make it 21-12 before the Texans stopped the bleeding.

A sac fly by Reese Adams pushed the lead out to 22-12 as Wimberley looked to close the game out.

However a five run inning by Bandera kicked off the comeback for the Bulldogs as they looked to steal the win.

But Wimberley stuffed the comeback with a groundout to seal the win at 22-17.

Three different Texan players finished the game with four RBIs with Castro going 2-6, Kirbo going 2-6 and Lynch going 2-2.

Wimberley returns home Tuesday to take on Fredericksburg before traveling to Davenport to battle the Wolves and avoid the tiebreaker for fourth place.