Beckville’s First Trip to State Softball Tournament Ends With 13-3 Semifinal Loss to Weimar

AUSTIN -- The Beckville Ladycats' first appearance at the state softball tournament couldn't have begun any better.

Beckville scored a run in the top of the first, but Weimar responded by scoring 10 runs over the first two innings en route to a 13-3 win in five innings in a Class A semifinal Wednesday at Red & Charline McCombs Field.

The Ladycats, whose season ended in the regional finals the previous two seasons, finished its season at 29-9.

Beckville coach Winston Whiddon talks to the Ladycats infield during a pitching change in a Class A state semifinal Wednesday in Austin. (Travis Harsch, ETSN.fm)

“The girls played hard," said Beckville coach Winston Whiddon. "That was one of their main goals (to get back to the state tournament) because they’ve been so close the last couple years. This is the year we made it and that’s what it’s all about right there.”

Weimar (34-3), which is in its sixth state tournament, will face Ivanhoe Sam Rayburn at 3 p.m. Thursday for the state championship.

Beckville's Taylor Lindsay, who finished 3-for-3 with two triples and two RBIs, led off the game with a single through the right side of the infield. She then stole second and moved to third on Cassidi Whitaker's sacrifice bunt before scoring on a wild pitch for 1-0 lead.

Weimar then took complete control, scoring four runs in the bottom half of the inning on just one hit. Beckville committed two errors, issued four walks and starting pitcher Carley Lawhorn was charged with three illegal pitches in the inning.

Beckville’s Logan Daniels attempts to tag out a sliding Weimar runner at the plate Wednesday in a Class A state semifinal Wednesday in Austin. The Ladycats lost 13-3 to Weimar in five innings. (Travis Harsch, ETSN.fm)

“They said she was kinda hopping a little bit -- two feet off the ground at the same time is what they called it," Whiddon said of the illegal pitches. "That kinda threw her off a little bit as far as throwing strikes and I guess it went downhill.”

Weimar put the game out of reach with six runs in the bottom of the second to build a 10-1 lead. Weimar loaded the bases with one out -- all with walks. Four consecutive hits from Payton Wunderlich, Bailey Cernosek, McKenna Munsch and Allison Williams gave Weimar an insurmountable lead.

Kendall Marak improved to 33-2 on the year, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Shelby Vacek went 1-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead Weimar at the plate. Munsch and Williams had two hits and two RBIs apiece.

Lindsay tripled home a pair of runs in the fifth inning to pull Beckville to within 10 runs, but she was stranded at third to bring the 10-run mercy rule into effect.

“They had a great season," Whiddon said of his team. "Any time a team gets to the state tournament, they’ve had a great season. I’m just going to tell them to hold their heads up. I guarantee you our freshman, juniors and sophomores … we’ll be back.”