Randi Smith exuberantly jumped up and down at third base. Megan Chartier sprinted in from right field. Pitcher Emily Leib threw her arms in the air as the Lady Hornets mobbed each other on the infield.
What sounded like an unrealistic goal only three months earlier of reaching the University Interscholastic League Class 3A state tournament for the first time in school history now had become reality as the Lady Hornets beat Fredericksburg 3-0 on Friday night to sweep the Region I final playoff series.
“I’m ecstatic. There’s no words to describe it,” said senior Smith, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run batted in. “I cried like a baby. I never cry and I cried like a little baby as soon as the game ended. And Coach (Michelle) Bartch started crying.”
Said senior Nichols: “I’m still kind of in shock right now. It’s pretty awesome. We’re very lucky.”
Gatesville (32-9) advanced to the state tournament, June 4-6 at the University of Texas’ McCombs Field.
The Lady Hornets’ opponent, date and time won’t be determined until Sunday.
“I’m so excited. My heart is racing right now,” said Chartier, who scored the first run.
Said junior right-hander Leib (23-8), who tossed a two-hitter with eight strikeouts: “I feel amazing - it’s the best feeling in the world.”
The Lady Hornets’ celebration climaxed their surreal postseason journey.
They’ve won two decisive Game 3s, eliminated West after being swept by their District 7-3A rival during the regular season, had possessions stolen from their bus during an area-round game against Burkburnett and had the bus’ windshield wipers fail during a rainstorm after topping Levelland last week.
Said fifth-year coach Bartch: “I’ve got six seniors (Becca Augeri, Carlie Webb, Nichols, Smith, Heck, Chartier) who’ve been playing pretty hard and they deserve it. I’ve been telling them all year long if they just all put the pieces together they’ll be successful. It seemed like we put all the pieces together at the right time.”
Gatesville broke a scoreless tie in the third inning. With two outs and none on, Chartier reached first with one of her trademark bunt singles that rested a few feet in front of home plate. She stole second - her 54th of the year - and scored on Augeri’s flare down the left-field line.
“Sometimes I just get lucky like that,” said Chartier, who is a school-record 54-for-56 on stolen bases this year. “I’ve worked on making a softer bunt and have practiced that.
“With two outs we keep going. We still have an extra out to do a lot of damage.”
Said Bartch, whose team scored all three runs with two outs: “I think they’ve just gotten a little bit more mentally tough throughout the playoffs. When you’re mentally tough, you can get up to the plate with two outs and try to make things happen.”
The Lady Hornets still led 1-0 when Leib ran into trouble in the fourth. With one out, Janice Aleman doubled to center and advanced to third on Augeri’s error. Leib rebounded by getting Ashley Rusche to fly out to the circle and Nichols made a great play, ranging to her left to throw out Elisa Robledo at first.
“I knew there was a runner on third and I had to do everything to get that ball,” Nichols said.
In the sixth, Gatesville created some breathing room. Leib singled home Heck and Smith doubled off the left-field wall to score courtesy runner Webb for a 3-0 lead.
That was more than enough run support for the Lady Hornets’ ace. After allowing four runs and five hits in the first three innings in Thursday’s 6-4 win over the Lady Billies, Leib allowed just three hits and no runs in the final 11 of the series.
“The first couple of innings, I’m kind of nervous,” she said. “After the first about two innings, my arm starts to feel a little warmer. It seems like I pitch better after I get tired.”
When Leib coaxed Cassie Kyzar into the game-ending forceout, the party started and continued until the players doused the victorious coach with water.
“It makes everything worth it,” said Bartch, who advanced to state for the first time as a player or coach. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids to coach. I can’t tell you how proud I am right now.”
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
