Pampa falls to Burkburnett in 12-inning thriller, sets up Region I-4A semifinal rubber match
LUBBOCK — There may not be words to describe the playoff softball game between Pampa and Burkburnett Friday night.
The two teams played in the second of a best-of-three Region I-4A semifinal that was tied at 1-1 which extended into ann unfathomable 12th inning. Even the two coaches were a bit speechless at the conclusion — especially after the first game went eight innings, ending in a comeback win for the Lady Harvesters.
The result didn't go Pampa's way in the second as Burkburnett ended up winning 5-1, evening the series at 1-1, following the four-hour battle inside Lubbock Christian University’s Hays Field. Burkburnett carried the momentum of its victory into Saturday's Game 3, avoiding any late-inning drama with a 5-2 victory to win the series.
Burkburnett advances to play Decatur next week in the Region I-4A final.
"It was two good teams going at it," Burkburnett coach Tracy Tadlock said. "We were just battling. We've had two extra-inning games, we're both playing good ball and that's what happens when you have two good teams going at it."
What occurred was a pitching and defensive contest that turned into a nail biter. With the devastating wind making offense harder to come by, the pressure was on both pitching staffs to deliver. The Bulldog combination of Kenzie Smith and Natalie Gray combined for 12 strikeouts, six walks and seven hits — an impressive showing considering the circumstances.
Pampa pitcher Kynleigh Kirby did her best to counter, all on her own inside the circle — tossing 251 pitches and was never pulled throughout the 12-inning game. With that total, she struck out nine and didn't give up an earned run until the final inning as exhaustion snuck in late.
But the effort and resiliency wasn’t lost on her head coach Dottie Hawthorne.
"Kirby had over 250 pitches and she was still going," Hawthorne said. "I'm pretty proud of her and all my girls."
Tessa Pitt scored on an error in the top of the fourth inning for Burkburnett and it looked like that would be the only offense the game would produce until the seventh.
After Hallie Hawthorne drew the walk for Pampa, Reagan Dyer smacked a line drive deep to center field to score Karina Gonzalez and tie the game up at 1-1. Dyer couldn't advance past second with no outs and the game went to extras.
Each team got a pair of runners on in the eighth but also couldn't make it past second. The ninth saw one of the more frenetic sequences of an insanely wild game.
Burkburnett loaded the bases with one out before Carice Winney was picked off at third. There was confusion after the play and Hallie Hawthorne managed to get the ball to shortstop Cassidy Stanhope who tagged McKenzie Hibbs out at second after she got stuck on the base path and end the threat.
Pampa managed to get Briley Daniels to third in the bottom half of the ninth, but couldn't send her home as the contest entered the 10th inning. A double play by Pampa ended the top of the frame before Pampa set up what looked like a walk-off scenario.
Briana Cloud came up with a leadoff triple before Tadlock took the enormous gamble of intentionally walking Kirby and Cambree Dyer with no outs to load the bases. A passed ball, wild pitch, walk or any kind of hit or sacrifice could have ended the game in favor of the Lady Harvesters.
None of that happened.
Gray was masterful in the circle, validating her coach’s decision, as she struck out Hallie Hawthorne, snagged a ground ball and made the throw home to stop Cloud from scoring and struck out Maecie Hawthorne in order to move the game to the 11th.
Burkburnett got two runners on in the top of the 11th before a 1-2-3 inning by Pampa and the Lady Bulldogs found a way to break through.
Delany Ritz and Keiylah Barr scored on a single before Brooke Boyd made it home on an error. Gray sent another run home on an RBI single to make it 5-1. Pampa went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to end the contest.
REGION I-4A SEMIFINAL
Burkburnett 5, Pampa 1
Burkburnett 000 100 0 0 0 0 0 4— 5 13 1
Pampa 000 000 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 7 3
Burkburnett - Kennedy Smith, Natalie Gray (6th inning) and Griffin Hefton. Pampa - Kynleigh Kirby, and Briana Cloud. W — Gray (N/A). L — Kirby (N/A). 2B — Burkburnett, 1 (Brooke Boyd). Pampa, 1 (Reagan Dyer). 3B — Burkburnett, 0. Pampa, 1 (Cloud). HR — Burkburnett, 0. Pampa, 0.
Records: Burkburnett 35-7-1, Pampa 25-9. … Series tied 1-1.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Pampa falls to Burkburnett in 12-inning thriller, sets up Region I-4A semifinal rubber match
