High School

Texas (UIL) high school softball: 5 regional semifinal series' you shouldn't have missed

Walk-offs, grand slams and parity: A closer look at five matchups in Round 4 of the 2023 UIL softball playoffs

SI Editorial

The road to the UIL Softball State Tournament in Austin rolls on as the Lone Star State’s most elite high school teams battled for a regional finals berth in the ‘Sweet 16’ round of the Texas high school softball playoffs Thursday through Saturday.

After three weeks of highly-competitive postseason action during the bi-district, area and regional quarterfinal rounds kicked off the 2023 UIL softball playoffs, more than 600 Texas high school softball squads have watched their postseason dreams end while the state’s top teams continue their push towards a state title.

Eight teams remain in each of the state's six classifications after a compelling slate of games. Which series' stood above the rest?

Here's a closer look at five of this weekend’s biggest regional semifinal matchups you should not have missed:

CLASS 6A, REGION IV:

>> Bracket

San Benito Greyhounds def. New Braunfels Unicorns 2-1

  • Game 1: San Benito 9, New Braunfels 7

Sophomore Amira Rodriguez tossed five strikeouts in a complete game start and went 2-for-3 with five RBI and a third inning grand slam to help power the Greyhounds to a Game 1 win.

  • Game 2: New Braunfels 12, San Benito 9 

The bats came alive as the Unicorns put together back-to-back four-run innings and held on to even the series. Veronica Peitersen finished 4-for-5 with a double and three RBI and Aubrey Myer went 2-for-5 with three RBI.

  • Game 3: San Benito 11, New Braunfels 1

Make that two series grand slams for Amari Rodriguez, whose bomb drove in four runs in the fifth as San Benito coasted to a series win.

Up next

San Benito will take on San Antonio East Central in the regional finals. Game 1 is on Thursday at 6 p.m.

CLASS 5A, REGION I:

>> Bracket

El Paso Hanks Knights def. Colleyville Heritage Panthers 2-0

  • Game 1: Heritage 4, Hanks 2

A two-RBI single by Nia Sisneros put Heritage up 2-0 in the third. Desirae Spearman hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning and scored from third on a bunt by Alejandra Salazar, but Heritage scored on a walk and a beaned batter and Lindsey McConnell tossed a shutout bottom of the seventh to take Game 1.

  • Game 2: Heritage 9, Hanks 6

The Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 lead, which proved to be insurmountable despite a late Hanks comeback. The Knights charged back to make it 7-6 with a tying run on base, but Heritage closed out the inning and added two more insurance runs.

Up next

Colleyville Heritage takes on Northwest in the regional final.

CLASS 5A, REGION IV:

>> Bracket

New Braunfels Canyon Cougars def. Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Hornets 8-1

7 p.m. on Friday, May 19th, at Beeville Jones HS (One-game playoff)

Madeline "DeeDee" Baldwin, a 6-foot-3 catcher, launched two home runs as the Cougars showed Flour Buff the end of its season in blowout fashion. The matchup was a single-game elimination.

CLASS 4A, REGION I:

>> Bracket

Decatur Eagles def. Dumas Demons 2-1

  • Game 1: Dumas 10, Decatur 0
  • Game 2: Decatur 3, Dumas 0
  • Game 3: Decatur 6, Dumas 5

Bet against Decatur at your peril. Sophomore Madi Moreland drove in the game-winning run on a walk-off single to right field in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Chayse Freeman from third. Moreland was 2 for 3 at the plate with three RBI and Abby Mosley went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

CLASS 3A, REGION I:

>> Bracket

Coahoma Bulldogs def. Bushland Falcons 8-3

  • One Game Playoff — 7 p.m. Friday, May 19th, at Wolfforth Frenship HS

Freshman Mia Clemmer launched two home runs to help send Coahoma through to the regional championship.

Up next

Coahoma takes on Lamesa in the regional final.

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