(Geronimo, Wimberley) – Navarro advanced through the bi-district round of the 4A softball playoffs for the third straight season with a 2-0 series sweep of Wimberley. The Panthers held off the Texans 8-6 at home on Wednesday and rolled to a 10-0 win in five innings at the Wimberley ISD complex on Thursday.
The Panthers led the series opener 7-0 and 8-1 before Wimberley plated two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to make it a two-run game.
Navarro starting pitcher Samantha Wegman dug in to induce a pop-up to leave a runner stranded at third base for the final out in the top of the sixth and worked around a hit batter to keep the Texans scoreless in the seventh.
First-year head coach Danielle Guerra credited Wegman and her catcher Samantha Mundine for finding the right combination of pitches to record those critical outs.
“They have a really good chemistry,” Guerra said. “They’ve played together forever, and so Mundine does a really good job of kind of reading Weg, and kind of talked to her, and kept her kind of relaxed. She’s been pitching forever, and she knows about the pressure, and she usually comes out on top and does really well in that situation.”
Wegman allowed six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts, three walks, and four hit batters in seven innings to earn the complete-game win.
Sydni Stevens belted a two-run double and scored once to spark Navarro’s effort at the plate. Berklee Andrews singled twice on bunts and scored two runs.
Laylin Sturm bunted for a base hit as well and scored twice. Kaislynn Tovar and Sarah Falor each drove in a run. Falor doubled. Mundine walked twice and scored twice. Andrews, Sturm, and Mundine each collected a stolen base.
“We came out strong in the beginning,” Guerra said. “We took advantage of a few mistakes that were on their end, we laid down a few good bunts, and aggressive base running, but towards the middle of the game, we kind of got a little bit too relaxed, but we came back in the end and stayed strong.”
The Panthers scored three runs in the second inning of Game 2, two in the fourth, and activated the 10-run rule with five in the top of the fith.
Wegman retired the side in order and struck out the final two batters to shut the door on Wimberley in the bottom half. She pitched a three-hitter and struck out four to earn the complete-game win and move her record to 18-6.
Melina Tabares hit a three-run triple and scored two runs to headline the offensive barrage. Andrews went 2-2 and drove in three runs.
Wegman and Mundine each drove in a run. Mundine and Sarah Howard each went 2-3. Howard scored twice, Mundine once. Tovar doubled and scored a run. Falor’s 12-game hitting streak ended, but she walked, reached on an error, and crossed the plate twice.
Andrews, batting in the nine hole, totaled four hits, three RBIs, and two runs scored in the series a week after going 2-3 in the district championship clinching win over Cuero.
Guerra says the senior right fielder’s leadership has been instrumental during the home stretch of the season.
“I wish y’all could see her in the dugout – she keeps it live the whole time,” the coach said. “No matter how she does at the plate, she holds the energy the whole time. You know, the fact that she was on fire these past few games, it adds to it definitely.”
The bi-district playoff sweep bumps Navarro’s season record to 22-7. The Panthers face either Rockport-Fulton or West Columbia in the area playoffs. That series had yet to go final at press time.