Washington County’s Minor Division softball all-stars turned their state ambitions to reality last week with a sectional title.
They are now dreaming big ahead of this weekend’s state tournament in Rosenberg. Their ultimate goal of a state championship banner is just one tournament away.
The county all-stars will look to give the Washington County Little League its fifth Minor softball state championship all-time and first since 2010 when they compete in the Texas East state tournament.
On the surface, Washington County’s road to state has looked simple. The county all-stars swept Smithville by a two-game combined score of 19-0 at last week’s sectional tournament.
However, these all-stars got to sectionals through the tough grind of the District 13 tournament. Six of Washington County’s seven games at district came against Bellville and Columbus, teams that represented two of the best squads in the district outside of Washington County.
While the county all-stars took a loss to Columbus in Game 1 of the district finals, five of their six wins came by at least five runs. Between district and sectionals, they scored at least six runs in each of their seven tournament wins en route to state.
Coach Sean Church said earlier this week that his team’s road to state, especially facing the best in its district consistently, prepared it well for what is about to come.
“I think we got a pretty tough draw in our district for the most part … so that helps keep the girls on track there,” he said. “They never had any games where they could just go in there and coast.”
Washington County’s success in the district and sectional tournaments are most reflected in the pitching circle. Pitchers Kinsley Haferkamp and Lillie Landua lead the county all-stars with multiple gems this summer. They both enter the state tournament off no-hitters at sectionals against Smithville.
Haferkamp threw Washington County’s best game of the summer in Game 1 of sectionals. She struck out 18 batters in six innings with just one walk allowed.
The sectional no-hitter highlights a summer resume that includes 66 strikeouts with just 17 walks in 28 2/3 innings of work. She has allowed 12 hits and eight earned runs for Washington County this summer. However, every hit and earned run allowed came in the county’s four meetings against Columbus in the district tournament.
Landua, meanwhile, also threw a no-hitter at sectionals in five innings of work spread across two days due to weather in Game 2. She earned 14 strikeouts with just four walks allowed.
She has 43 strikeouts and 16 walks for Washington County this summer over 17 1/3 innings of work.
Church expects both pitchers to have major roles at state. But, he expects the ball to be hit more than it has at district and especially at sectionals.
“Hopefully they can keep composure if they are hit around a little bit,” he said. “If we go out there and a couple balls are hitting the gap, just making sure that they can just stay with the game plan and keep working and not worry about that.”
Washington County does have a third pitcher in Teagyn Wilson, if needed. She only pitched in one game at the district tournament against Lee County, going 3 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts along with three hits and two walks allowed.
Wilson also shined at the plate at sectionals, going 2 for 4 with two walks during the series. She leads Washington County with a .500 average this summer, earning 11 hits and eight RBI during the district and sectional tournaments.
Church praised Wilson’s leadership after the sectional series, calling her someone that gets her teammates going in games. Wilson has proven herself for several years in youth softball, going back to her first years in the sport.
“I remember in tee ball, Teagyn was just stronger and a better hitter than most of the other girls, even back then,” her coach said.
Washington County’s offense does not just flow through Wilson, though. Just about every all-star has shown it can deliver a big hit or walk this summer.
Five all-stars earned multiple hits in last week’s sectional series against Smithville. Landua earned the most hits in a 3-for-5 series. She bumped her hit total for the summer to nine while also scoring three times at sectionals.
One of the more intriguing players with multiple hits at sectionals is Addie Sebastian. She earned a 2-for-5 series with three RBI against Smithville.
Sebastian returned to action in the district finals against Columbus after having to sit out the district tournament to that point. Her sectional series bumped her summer numbers up to a .444 average in nine at-bats.
She hit from the top of the order at sectionals and gave Washington County an added boost to an already stacked roster.
Her return also gave Church a more difficult task in managing her return to an established and talented lineup.
“It just makes my job that much tougher, but it is a good problem to have to have a team so talented that I have to deal with that,” he said. “I will take that all day long.”
Stella Church and Lonna Wunderlich also earned two hits each at sectionals. Both players also tallied multiple RBI against Smithville. Wunderlich led the team with four RBI thanks to a RBI hit in both games of the sectional series as well as a sacrifice fly.
Coach Church previously has given his team praise for its hitting throughout the lineup, which has led to six hitters holding an average of at least .250 heading into state. He wants to see that theme continue, especially after his team’s play in the sectionals.
“It is not like they were just taking advantage of a weaker pitcher or something like that,” Church said. “I think (Smithville’s ace pitcher) has pitched quite a bit, so to see them have success against a pretty good pitcher, that gives me a lot of hope on our offensive side going into state.”
Winning games in Rosenberg this weekend will be no easy feat. The state tournament features several teams that cruised through their district and sectional tournaments.
District 27 and Section 4 champion Industrial ran through games against Ganado and Edna at district by a combined score of 34-3 before winning three straight sectional games to advance to state. While Industrial was tested by Refugio County in a tight 4-3 final, it won two previous sectional games by a combined score of 21-1.
District 12 and Section 2 champion Lumberton also heads to Rosenberg with an undefeated record through district and sectional play. It scored 45 runs in a two-game sweep of Bridge City in its sectional tournament while putting up 51 runs in four games at its district tournament.
Church expects the level of competition at state to be high, but he also said winning the state title is still a realistic target. With a talented roster capable of winning, he said staying in games mentally will dictate success.
“All the little things I think will play a big role in how far we can go, but I say my team has got as good a chance as any to win this whole thing,” Church said.
His team will not have rust heading into Rosenberg. In addition to district and sectional tournaments in recent weeks, Sebastian and Haferkamp continued to play after sectionals on a softball trip to Florida.
Washington County also has extra incentive to earn its third banner of the summer. Church told The Banner-Press after last week’s sectional win that if his team wins state, he will dye his hair green in celebration.
He said he will be glad to do it, though, should his team the state title.
Washington County’s state tournament begins Friday with a matchup against Section 3 champion East End out of Houston.