Moments before Ryann Presswood delivered her final pitch of the TSSAA Region 3-4A softball championship game at Frost Stadium, the Walker Valley ace was offered words of encouragement by trustworthy shortstop and fellow senior Amy Benson.
Presswood was purely brilliant from the pitching circle, and the University of Texas at El Paso signee let out a roar after her ninth strikeout of the game closed Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over East Hamilton, a pitchers’ duel in which the teams combined for just five hits.
“I was so happy how our kids competed from the first to the seventh inning,” said Lauren Limburg, who is in her 15th year as Walker Valley’s head coach.
“I thought Boogs pitched one of her best games of the season,” Limburg added, referring to Presswood by her nickname. “She is a competitor and a fighter. She wants the ball in her hand. This is just so special. Her defense rallied behind her, and we did enough to get the job done. Our dugout was loud and in it all game.”
Walker Valley (31-8) was able to cash in the winning run in the top of the fourth inning when left-handed batter Morgan Rice, a sophomore catcher who was in the five-hole for the lineup, hit a shallow flair to left field that dropped in between the Lady Hurricanes’ left fielder and shortstop. Rice’s RBI single with two outs brought home freshman standout Vanessa Byers, a .471 hitter this season who had stolen second base five pitches before during Rice’s at-bat.