Coach Robert Klick’s Texan softball team has faced adversity as they made ready for district play.
With just two seniors, a handful of juniors and numerous underclassmen, the young ladies at Wimberley High School have searched for their identity, struggling in pre-district play. Coming into last Friday’s game, they knew one thing — getting off on the right foot against a district foe was important.
Canyon Lake High School came calling for a noon start at the Texan softball field. The Hawks won both meetings last year and brought back an experienced roster this season. The Texans had their work cut out for them.
Addison Kirbo took the pitching circle for Wimberley and held the Hawks in check into the sixth inning. She created some of her own run support with triples in the second and third and then a double in the fifth — where she was awarded third base on a basepath interference. Kirbo was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs in the Texans’ impressive, and perhaps miraculous, sixth inning.
“I was so excited about the way we stayed in it and how our energy stayed up,” Kirbo shared. “Whenever we fell behind or there were errors, we continued to pick each other up. We just fought through it.”
The Texans built a lead in the second inning behind a two-run double by Katie Schroeder. She later stole home to make the score 3-0. Kirbo added a run in the third, driving home Juniper Daniel (triple) then crossed the plate on a passed ball. Reese Adams was hit by a pitch and stole second, reaching third on a passed ball, then stole home to take a 6-1 lead into the fourth inning.
In the fourth, Canyon Lake posted four runs as a handful of errors allowed the Hawks to advance around the diamond. Meanwhile, the Texans went 3-and-out but led 6-5 headed to the fifth inning. In the top of the inning, Canyon Lake put a player at first via single, advancing when the next batter was hit by pitch then scoring with a fielder’s choice and a missed play at the plate. After getting a second out, another score snuck across when a ground ball single made its way to right field. After the Wimberley defense picked up the third out, Wimberley trailed 7-6 and was unable to mount a comeback in the bottom of the fifth.
The sixth inning was a circus. The Hawks roughed up Kirbo for consecutive doubles in the first two batters, scoring one. Freshman Charlotte Woodward came in for Kirbo, who moved over to first base. With one on at second and no outs, Woodward gave up a single on an 0-2 pitch to put runners at the corners. The next batter got a single to shortstop, allowing another run. Canyon Lake was able to put another run across the plate before the third out to make the score 10-6 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
Second baseman Schroeder led off the sixth with a hard ground ball to second base and outran the play at first, advancing to second on a passed ball ending up at third on an errant throw. Bailey Wright was hit by pitch and at first base when Jayden Jamieson doubled on a pop fly to right field that scored Schroeder. Jamieson was at third when catcher Grace Owens slapped a line drive single to left, scoring Jamieson to bring the Texans to within two, 10-8.
With two outs, Daniel hit a line drive single to the right, moving Owens to third. Kirbo — who had hurt the Hawks in her previous at bats — was intentionally walked to load the bases. Reese Adams came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. The count stood at 2-2 when the Canyon Lake pitcher let go of a wild pitch, scoring Owens and Daniels. An errant throw during the melee brought Kirbo home to put the Texans in the lead 11-10. Adams dribbled a ball out to the Hawk pitcher who mishandled it, putting Adams on first then second on a passed ball. After another couple of passed balls, Adams scored and Wimberley led 12-10.
Charlotte Woodward came out for the top of the seventh and hit her spots, striking out two Hawks’ players. The next batter popped up to Owens to close out the improbable come-from-behind victory.
“That was a much needed win, and that the girls won it in the fashion that they did says a lot,” Coach Klick commented. “The first win is always the hardest, so we got that out of the way on the first game against a team that had our number last year. It felt good to go take care of business against Canyon Lake.”
Kirbo echoed Klick’s sentiments: “I’d say they’re our biggest rivals, so it feels amazing to start 1-0 in district against them.”
Owens moved to Wimberley only recently and said she was not sure what to expect upon arrival. Her excitement from behind the plate was nearly palpable, as she displayed a couple of fist-pumps in the closing inning of the rivalry game.
“I get really excited, and it just comes out, and I don’t like to hold it back,” she explained. “I’m so happy that I got to come here and join in with such an amazing group of girls. We’ve had a rough start to our season, but coming out on top with how tough of a game it was just feels great.”
“I think we all fought pretty hard. When we did go down, we came right back up,” Owens continued. “I want to point out Charlotte (Woodward) because she’s a freshman coming in and closing that big game, and I think she did great. It was great stuff.”
For her part, Woodward was thankful for the opportunity when Coach Klick called her up in relief.
“It makes me feel good, because it brings my confidence back a little bit when I help my team out, just doing it for my team,” she said. “We fought back in the second to last inning, and it feels good to bring them back. As long as we have each other’s backs, we can accomplish anything.”
“It’s awesome to see them come out and do what they did today,” Klick concluded. “I mean that’s just a huge, huge confidence builder to show what we’re capable of because we came off of a not-so-pretty loss. Hopefully, this will carry us over to Bandera on Tuesday.”
Texan softball played Tuesday, March 21 at Bandera High School and will host the Fredericksburg High School Billies on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. The ladies travel to Garden Ridge on Tuesday, March 28 to tangle with the Wolves at Davenport High School.
