May 5, 2005 - After
settling for a third-place finish in a brutal District 9-4A race, the Northwest
High School softball team wanted to make some noise in the Region II bi-district
round of the state playoffs.
The Lady Texans got their first chance last Friday at home against Dallas
Hillcrest. Led by a spectacular pitching performance by Brittany Barnhill and a
punishing effort at the plate by Kara Gaines and Lindsey Freeman, NHS bounced
Hillcrest from the playoffs with a 10-0 victory.
Barnhill made sure the Dallas squad never had a chance. The sophomore standout
allowed just one base runner in the game and that was more than enough on a
night the NHS bats came to life.
“Our team goal was not to underestimate Hillcrest. We wanted to win every
inning, and we did,” NHS coach Tonya Laird said. “Brittany did a great job.
She didn’t miss but a few shots the whole night. The only hit they got was
that one that rolled by second base. Brittany did a good job.”
The win pushed Northwest to 24-5 and will advance to play Mesquite Poteet in the
area playoffs on Friday in Mansfield. The game has been tentatively set for 6
p.m. Hillcrest, who also faced Northwest in the first round of the volleyball
and basketball playoffs, ended its season at 17-6-1.
Lady Texan ace Brittany Barnhill, who won her 22nd game of the season, struck
out 14 of the 16 batters she faced and came within inches of a perfect game. Her
only blemish was in the second inning when Hillcrest hitter Morgan Carr hit a
slow roller up the middle and just out of second baseman Amy Reid's reach.
The hit would have done very little to slow Northwest. In fact, the Lady Texans
scored five runs in their first at-bat. Gaines, Freeman and Barnhill all had
hits in the early assault which put NHS ahead 5-0 after one inning.
Hillcrest had no answer. Barnhill struck out the first five batters she faced.
She fanned nine more after Hillcrest erased what would have been a perfect game
for the NHS pitcher.
The Lady Texans added one run in the second inning, two in the third and two in
the fourth to chase starting pitcher Marci Mango from the game.
The mercy rule was enforced in the fifth inning which Hillcrest failed to cut
the lead to less than 10 runs.
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