Melissa slipped up and lost for the first time all season last week.
But the Cardinals had the luxury of playing a best-of-three playoff, and after losing Game 1, they came back and downed Lake Belton the next two games to take the series.
There won’t be any margin of error for the Cardinals on Wednesday, as their UIL 5A Division I semifinal will be a one-game playoff. Melissa takes on Aledo for the right to head to Austin for next week’s title game Wednesday evening at Euless Trinity High School.
Melissa (36-1) suffered its first loss of the season last week in Game 1 of the regional final against Lake Belton, 2-0. But the Cardinals bounced back big-time the next two games, outscoring the opposition, 19-2, to keep their season alive.
The Cardinals have also added to their national single-season record of home runs, hitting 118 now. Junior Kennedy Bradley has 24 of those, while senior Caigan Crabtree has 19. Sophomore Hutton Adrian remains the team’s top hitter at .630 with a .721 on-base percentage.
Aledo (30-3) comes into the semifinal having won 16 straight games. Last week, the Ladycats swept a two-game regional final against Birdville, winning the opener 11-1 and then taking the second game, 7-4.
Senior infielder Marina Taveras is Aledo’s top hitter, batting .479, and also leads the team in on-base percentage (.528), home runs (9) and slugging (1.021). Junior Kyleigh Pawlak has a team-high 43 RBIs.
Taylor McKean, a senior pitcher, brings a 1.01 earned run average and is also 14-2 on the season. She has struck out 188 batters in 90 innings.
The Melissa-Aledo winner moves on to next week’s title game in Austin against the winner of the other semifinal, involving Barbers Hill and Smithson Valley.
Here’s everything you need to know about live streaming the regional semifinal between Melissa and Aledo.
How to watch Melissa vs. Aledo softball
•. Live Stream: Watch on the NFHS Network.
Melissa vs. Aledo will air live on the NFHS Network. You can subscribe to the NFHS Network on a monthly basis or an annual subscription.
Melissa vs. Aledo softball start times
•. Game Date: Wednesday, May 21
•. Game Time: 6:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. PT
The first pitch for the state semifinal game Wednesday will be at 6:30 p.m. CT at Euless Trinity High School.