Wells’ MVP performance leads Coahoma to state title

Wells lined a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give Coahoma a three-run lead.

Wells also pitched quality start in the circle by allowing two runs in seven innings to lead the Bulldogettes to a 4-2 win over Santa Gertrudis and give Coahoma’s storied softball program its first state championship since 1998.

Wells was named tournament MVP after posting a 1.00 ERA in two state tournament starts.

Coahoma (36-3) left the Texas capitol with the state title trophy after losing 6-5 to Hallettsville in the 2022 state championship.

“I feel like our team had been here before,” Wells said. “It helped us calm down and know what we’re doing. Our preparation all through the years helped us be here. We say win one more and we did that here. The preparation that we put into this helped us.”

Baylor Wright gave the Bulldogettes the lead for good by singling down the left-field line to score Shae Lang and push Coahoma ahead 2-1 in the sixth after SGA (40-6) tied it in the fifth.

But it was Wells’ blast that was the back breaker.

Christian Everett led off the seventh with a single before Wells socked a line drive to center, measured at 233 feet, to give the Bulldogettes a 4-1 advantage.

“It was honestly my favorite pitch,” Wells said of her home run off SGA’s D’Andra Fernandez. “Low and inside. I just attacked it. I was ahead 2-0 and I knew I had to attack something and attack a good strike. It helped us stay ahead and it gave us those insurance runs. It was relieving to me and I’m thankful that I hit it.”

In her previous two plate appearances, the Lady Lions intentionally walked Wells to face the equally dangerous Mia Clemmer, who flied out in both at-bats.

This time Wells made them pay. Wells went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBI, a run scored and two walks at the plate.

“No, I’m not surprised,” Coahoma head coach Alexander Orosco said of the intentional walks. “This is our 70^th game together. Throughout that amount of time, you kind of see some things and you see who these kids really are. They’re fighters man. I’m proud of our kids.”

The Bulldogettes took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Karleigh Burt singled to second baseman Taylor Reyes on a grounder up the middle. On Reyes’ throw to first, Lang made an aggressive base running play to score from second base.

After managing just one hit against Wells in the first four innings, SGA grinded out a run in the fifth when Hanna Perales drew a walk after fouling a pitch off her foot.

The Lady Lions followed with two sacrifice bunts before Reyes hit a two-out single on a 0-2 count to plate pinch runner Naghtalie Mireles and tie the game at 1.

In the next inning, Coahoma responded when Lang drew a leadoff walk.

Kaedyn Lee followed with a sacrifice bunt, advancing Lang to second.

However, SGA first baseman Izzy De La Santos dropped the ball on the throw and Lee was ruled safe.

Wright, who was the hitting hero of the semifinal, hit a ball that got past injury substitution Trinity Silguero (filling in for Perales at third base) for the go-ahead run.

“Our goal was to win one more,” Orosco said. “It sounds easy, but it’s not. This was one of the most difficult things to do in the coaching profession and as far as athletes go. It’s difficult but that shows you the kind of kids that we have at Coahoma. They don’t give up.”

Wells allowed five hits and four walks, while striking out four.

She pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and stranded runners on second and third in the sixth.