Softball recap: Carroll rallies to sweep Abilene, Northwest scores late to advance, Colleyville Heritage forces Game 3

Southlake Carroll 9, Abilene 8 (8)

The Dragons scored three runs in the top of the seventh to send the game into extras and then Lillian Cooper hit a three-run home run in the eighth as Carroll held off Abilene to clinch their Class 6A Region 1 quarterfinal series Friday night at Weatherford.

Carroll, which beat Abilene 7-5 on Thursday, advances to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2004. The Dragons will face Allen or Flower Mound. Game 3 of that series will be Saturday.

Dragon pitcher Cameron Timmons helped herself out when her double in the top of the third drove in Morgan Cashon from second. Carroll led 2-0 in the fourth off two Abilene throwing errors.

The Eagles were able to tie it at 2 in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back RBI ground outs, the game-tying run coming off the bat of Leila Musquiz.

Things went downhill for Carroll when Abilene’s Amyah Stars hit a three-run homer over the right field wall that gave the Eagles a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

Cashon’s RBI double cut the lead to 5-3 in the seventh and she scored on Timmons’ RBI triple to left. Mackenzie Rae tied the game at 5 with a sac fly to center.

Abilene had the game-winning run at third with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but a liner went right to Rae at third and she tagged the bag for the double play.

Claire Carrick, one of the heros from Game 1, singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth and Cooper blasted a 3-2 pitch over the center field wall to give Carroll a 9-5 lead.

The Eagles pulled within a run and had two runners on base with one out.

Justin Northwest 4, Brewer 3

Courtney Candahl drove in Alexah Reyes in the top of the seventh that proved to be the game-winning run and the Texans beat the Bears in Game 2 and won their Class 5A Region 1 quarterfinal series Friday at Brewer.

Northwest advances to its first regional semifinal since 2007 to take on the winner between Lubbock Monterey and Abilene Wylie, who play Game 3 on Saturday.

Reyes led off the seventh with a walk and advanced to second on a ground out by Sadie Reid. Reyes then advanced to third on a passed ball.

Reid scored to give Northwest a 1-0 lead in the first before Brewer tied it with a Mia Serrato RBI double. Reid doubled in a run in the third for a 2-1 lead and Makayla Lee walked with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth.

Brewer tied it at 3 in the bottom of the inning with a Blair Shipman two-run homer.

Sophomore Abi Young struck out eight in seven innings for Northwest. Freshman Karlie Landrum struck out nine for Brewer, which made its deepest run since 2014.

Colleyville Heritage 8, Aledo 4

Lindsey McConnell held the Ladycats to four runs on seven hits and Alexis Perales drove in a pair of runs as the Panthers won Game 2 and tied the series in a Class 5A Region 1 quarterfinal Friday at Byron Nelson.

Game 3 will be 4 pm Saturday back at Byron Nelson HS.

The Panthers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning capped off with an RBI single by Perales. DeNae Vasquez Dickson singled in the second to make it 3-0 and McConnell’s RBI double in the third pushed the Colleyville Heritage lead to 4-1.

Aledo tied it at 4 with a Marissa Powell double and Texas Ray walk.

Alexa Neilon’s RBI single in the fourth gave the Panthers a 5-4 edge. Jalie Neff hit an RBI sac fly and Perales’ RBI single in the sixth capped the scoring for the Panthers.

Aledo won Game 1 on Thursday, 9-3.

Holliday 3, Brock 1

Grandview 5, Whitewright 2

Allen 5, Flower Mound 3 (8)

Flower Mound 10, Allen 0 (5)