NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Monique Miller won a nine-pitch battle with Birdville right-hander Susan Welborn, scoring pinch runner Sandra Booker from third base in the bottom of the seventh inning as Waco Midway advanced to the Class 4A state softball tournament with a 3-2 win over Birdville in a one-game regional final Friday night.
It was Welborn’s two-out, two-strike, two-run single that tied the score in the top of the seventh after Birdville (31-7) loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter.
But Melodie Brown led off the bottom of the inning with a single, and Midway (34-8) loaded the bases with one out on a pair of errors and a walk.
Needing a strikeout, Welborn went to her fastball, but Miller fouled off five pitches before bouncing a grounder to third. Mele Hufanga fielded the ball cleanly, but her throw to the plate was too late to get the sliding Booker.
The game was scoreless through four innings, thanks largely to a sparkling defensive play by Birdville.
Sarah Booker led off the fourth with a triple for Midway, but was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay from Birdville left fielder Noelle Perritt.
Midway broke through with runs in the fifth and sixth.
Mark Buford
Ennis 12, Forney 10: Ennis scored seven runs in the fifth inning to rally from a 7-5 deficit and force a Game 3 in the best-of-3 4A Region II final series. Game 3 is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Red Oak.
Shelby Pruitt had three RBIs for Ennis. Brooke McCarroll hit two home runs and had six RBIs for Forney.
West 5, Kennedale 1: Kennedale lost Game 1 of the best-of-3 Class 3A Region I final series at Burleson Centennial.