Floydada softball refocuses during delay to down Colorado City in region quarterfinal Game 3

WOLFFORTH — The Floydada softball team spent nearly as much time in the parking lot as it did on the field Saturday.

The first lightning delay was welcomed. The Whirlwinds trailed Colorado City by nine runs late in an uncharacteristic Game 2. The time away allowed Floydada to regroup and focus on correcting its mistakes.

The Winds came out like a new team in Game 3, jumping out to a 4-0 lead with a revived offense. Lightning struck again.

One might've worried the second pause would throw off the newfound rhythm. Floydada coach Armando Morales didn't.

The Winds' bats remained steady following the almost two-hour delay, leading to a 13-6 series-clinching win in the Region I-2A quarterfinal at the Frenship Athletic Complex.

"I knew the second game (of the series) wasn't us," Morales said. "(C-City) did a heck of a job changing things and doing things different and adjusting. But I know what I have in my team. The break just helped us to encourage ourselves to get better and to move on, so it helped out."

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Floydada offense night and day in doubleheader

C-City's Mia Obenhaus allowed four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in a complete-game shutout in Game 2. Wolves coach Jesse Casarez said she threw a "great game" in a 4-3 loss in the opener Thursday as well, but he gave K.K. Lloyd the nod in the decisive contest.

Lloyd pitched "lights out" the previous round against Clarendon, Casarez said, but she lasted five batters into Game 3. By the time Obenhaus returned to the circle, the Winds led 3-0 following three hits.

Floydada got the better of Obenhaus, too, even with an hour and 45 minutes on its bus in between. The Winds totaled 16 hits, seven for extra bases. The team hit four each in the first three innings to go up 11-1.

Carisa Fernandez, who went 3 for 3 with a double, two triples and five RBIs, said Floydada took time to adjust to the lefty Obenhaus.

"We haven't seen a left-handed pitcher this year," Fernandez said, "so seeing it from the opposite side, I think it was in our heads and we were thinking about it too much. … She's a really good pitcher, but I finally think we adjusted to it. We settled down and we felt at home in the box.

"We hit our pitches instead of hitting her pitches."

Casarez wraps up first season

So ended the Wolves' first season under Casarez, a 1989 Lubbock High grad. Casarez, who started three freshmen and four sophomores, said the team adjusted to his "old school" coaching style and grew.

"I was extremely proud of them," Casarez said. "We could have laid down when it was 11-1, and we came back and had a little fight."

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Analise Perez makes Floydada 'whole' in finale

Game 3 also saw the return of Analise Perez. The shortstop missed Saturday's matinee after a Game 1 collision with Fernandez, who joked they were "playing football in the outfield."

The senior Perez had an RBI and was part of a clean defense. She recorded three putouts and two assists as Floydada bounced back from a three-error Game 2.

"Having her back, it was huge," Fernandez said. "She's a huge part of our lineup. She's a huge part in the field. I felt like without her we felt like we weren't whole. But with her we came together. We knew what we needed to do, and we came out with a vengeance."

REGION I-2A QUARTERFINAL

GAME 2

Colorado City 9, Floydada 0

Floydada 000 000 0 — 0 4 3

Colorado 300 150 x — 9 6 1

Madison Pyle and Alli Hernandez (5). Mia Obenhaus. W — Obenhaus. L — Pyle. 3B — Colorado City, K.K. Lloyd.

GAME 3

Floydada 13, Colorado City 6

Colorado 010 131 0 — 6 10 3

Floydada 434 002 x — 13 16 0

K.K. Lloyd and Mia Obenhaus (1). Alli Hernandez. W — Hernandez. L — Lloyd. 2B — Floydada, Kirsten Pyle 2, Carisa Fernandez, Madison Pyle. Colorado City, Alexis Martinez, Obenhaus, Alyssa Wooddell, Lyla Ramon. 3B — Floydada, Fernandez 2, Soriah Wickware. HR — Colorado City, Martinez.

Records: Floydada 26-7-1; Colorado City 24-12.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Floydada weathers delay, tops Colorado City in Region I-2A quarterfinal