Although she faced some ticklish situations late, Hannah Benavides took a perfect game into the sixth inning for the second time in her last three outings as she guided Deer Park’s softball team to a 2-0 Class 6A state semifinal victory over Flower Mound at Leander Glenn High School Friday night.
Head coach Amy Vidal’s crew, now 11-2 for the state playoffs this spring, will take on Converse Judson for the state championship Saturday night at 5 at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. Judson eliminated Rockwall in the earlier semifinal game 6-2.
Deer Park will be vying for its third state championship in the last decade, but its first since 2014.
Benavides, who was named player of the game, ended the contest by wiggling out of a bases-loaded jam in Flower Mound’s final at-bat. With one out, she got the seven-hole hitter to hit a weak grounder back to her, before throwing to catcher Erin Perez for the forceout at home.
Then she induced the next Lady Jaguar to send a grounder to shortstop Madison Bailey, who tagged the runner going from second to third, ending the game.
Flower Mound came nowhere close to touching Benavides for the opening five innings. Benavides retired the opening 15 batters, allowing just one ball to be hit to the outfield. Then came a 30-minute lightning delay and the Lady Jaguars became more robust at the plate.
In addition to four fly balls to the outfield over the final three innings, Flower Mound broke up the perfect game when it began the sixth frame with a double. But the threat went nowhere as Benavides retired three of the next four batters.
Benavides, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning last Friday against Clear Springs, finished with seven strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter.
Offensively, Deer Park had its own struggles, but two unearned runs in the fifth inning was all Benavides needed this night.
A Brianna Fuentes grounder to third turned into a throwing error to the plate, allowing Madison Bailey and Emma overla to score. Bailey had begun the inning by reaching on a third baseman’s error and Overla had doubled, putting two in scoring position before Fuentes’ grounder and the throwing error allowed both to score.
Held to two hits, Overla accounted for both of them in the leadoff slot, finishing 2-for-4. Her other basehit was an infield single to start the game.
The District 22-6A champs and Region III winners had some missed opportunities, leaving runners stranded in scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings. Lady Deer batters struck out 10 times, hurting the effort to give Benavides a greater cushion.
ravery@hcnonline.com
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June 05, 2021 at 11:12AM
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Benavides, Lady Deer blank Flower Mound in state semis 2-0 - Houston Chronicle
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