1 week Ago By Lauren Rosenberg
WASKOM — At the Waskom softball field, there was a joyous but emotional moment as the Lady Cats defeated the Price Carlisle Lady Indians, 15-2, in honor of seniors Anna Grace Hicks and Arianna Warner. After falling to Carlisle, 13-11, on Tuesday, Waskom sought revenge and extra motivation to give the seniors a win in the softball field they played the past few seasons. "From last game to this game is a completely different story.
Our girls were mentally there tonight and they struggled with that last game. They came out here for these seniors and they really wanted to win this game for them. They focused up and did exactly what a Waskom Lady Cat softball player is supposed to play like," said coach Ryan Mason.
Waskom found itself down 1-0 early in the first inning after Sam Espinoza brought in Makayla Holcomb. It took Waskom until the bottom of the second inning to get on the board. Chyanne Haines reached on an error and Peyton Welch singled to put two runners on.
Haines scored on a passed pall and Warner grounded out to Madison Knix but was able to bring in Welch to give the Lady Cats a 2-1 lead. Carlisle scored its second and final run of the game in the top of the third inning after Xoie Baggerly grounded into a fielder's choice to Peyton Fussell to score Starr Hernandez. The bottom of the third and after had Waskom's name all over it.
The Lady Cats scored three runs in the third inning courtesy of a bases loaded RBI-walk by Kenley Boughton to bring in Maci Barbo. Haines roped a two RBI-single to to left field to bring in Fussell and Jade Spencer to give Waskom a 5-2 lead. Waskom's offense exploded in the bottom of the fifth as its scored 10 runs.
A walk to Barbo, bunt single by Spencer and a walk to Fussell juiced the bases for Boughton. Barbo scored on a RBI pop out by Fussell and a sacrifice bunt by Haines scored Spencer. Fussell stole home to give Waskom a 8-2 lead.
A RBI-single by Welch and Hicks gave the Lady Cats a 10-2 lead. Two more walks, a hit by pitch and two errors gave Waskom a 15-2 lead and a chance to end the game in run-rule, five inning victory. Summer Collins allowed two singles but did not allow Carlisle to score as she completed the victory and gave the seniors a night to remember.
Although the season didn't go the way they wanted it to, it was Lady Cats' most successful season in years. They got their first district win since April 2021 against Elysian Fields and won their most games since 2021 when they only four. Prior to 2021, they hadn't won a district game in a full season since 2019.
Hicks and Warner have been through the ringer with winless teams but to end their season and leave Waskom in a better place then when they entered the program is a special moment, the players said. "To go out with a win means a lot. We tried really hard this season and it didn't go as well as we planned, but you have to start somewhere.
I think this team is going to be great in the future. Coach [Ryan] Mason is going to lead this team far," Hicks said. "This year was my best year so far.
I haven't had good years in the past, with my sophomore year being my worse, but this season, I brought the sport I love back to life here in Waskom." "I started playing on Waskom as a freshman with my two sisters who I wish were here to see this win today. Going from not winning at all to winning two district games really hits home because I was never able to do that until this year.
We all tried our hardest, and I'm glad I got to do it with this group of girls," Warner said. Although this is Mason's first year as head coach of the Waskom softball program, he's seen tremendous growth in his two seniors. "[Hicks and Warner] have been amazing and stuck it out through thick and thin.
No matter what I did or what challenge I put them in, they were very selfless," Mason said. "Whenever we needed help in JV or another position, they wouldn't hesitate to help the team out. Hicks started at shortstop for us, played left field and then third base.
She became a phenomenal leadoff batter. Warner made some adjustments to her swing a bit and was really struggling in varsity. She went down to JV to work on her mechanics and got so much better.
They're both very determined and passionate and they'll take all of that into the amazing things they're going to do in the future.".
