Thorndale ends Tigerette's season

In their final meeting as district foes, the Thorndale Lady Dogs (23-10) and Thrall Tigerettes (24-10) softball teams locked horns in a best-of-three regional quarterfinals series this week. Thorndale took the first game 5-4 on Wednesday night and finished the sweep with a 5-1 win Thursday night. The Lady Dogs ended Thrall’s season and advanced to the regional semifinals next week.

Thorndale’s Karis Ginn handcuffed the Thrall hitters Thursday night in Taylor, holding the Tigerettes to one run on three hits to secure the win for the Lady Dogs.

Thorndale held a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning when the Tigerettes finally broke through for their only run of the game. Ashlyn Jarosek walked to lead off the inning and moved to third on Bri Jarosek’s single to right. But Thorndale scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away.

In game one, which was at Hutto, it was the Tigerettes who grabbed the early lead with runs in each of the second and third innings. In the second, Dezi Lopez drew a lead-off walk and moved to third on Bri Jarosek’s double to center. Miley Pokorny’s sacrifice bunt scores Lopez for a 1-0 Thrall lead.

Thrall pushed its lead to 2-0 in the third inning. Kenzie Engelke reached on a fielder’s choice. Stephanie Widner, running for Engelke, scored on Ashlyn Jarosek’s double to center.

Thorndale evened the score at two runs apiece in the bottom of the third. The Lady Dogs pushed a pair of runs across on two hits and a walk off on Thrall starting pitcher Miley Pokorny. Thorndale then took the lead with a trio of runs off a pair of Thrall errors in the fourth inning for a 5-2 advantage.

The Tigerettes scored the final runs of the game in the top of the fifth. Engelke drew a one-out walk and Ashlyn Jarosek drove a oneone pitch over the centerfield fence for her team-leading seventh homerun of the season. The blast pulled the Tigerettes within one at 5-4, but they could get no closer.