District Swing

Boyd, MHS, North Softball Open District Tuesday

Spring must officially be near. That’s because District 9-4A softball competition starts Tuesday. Locally, that means McKinney Boyd plays host to McKinney High and McKinney North plays host to The Colony. McKinneyNews.net beat writers take a look at MISD teams as the play begins "for real."

Improving Lady Broncos Taste First Win

A group of freshmen and sophomores known as the McKinney Boyd softball team beat Garland Lakeview Centennial last Friday for their first win in history.

The day before, the same group lost by only one run to Carrollton Newman Smith.

So, it’s no wonder a brutally young Lady Broncos – devoid of juniors and seniors – take increased confidence into their district season.

The Lady Broncos are only 1-6 in their first season, but their future appears bright. They’re led on the mound by Steff Palmisano, who had five strikeouts in beating Lakeview Centennial

Also, Hannah Yohn is a top thrower and batter for the team. Ashley Ollennu, Christie Rogers, Tyler Lail, Natalie Lynchard and Arielle Trankle, among others, have been hitting the ball well.

In the uplifting, narrow loss to Newman Smith, Yohn led the team with two runs batted in and Ashley Ollennu had two drag bunts for hits.

In the victory over Lakeview Centennial, Lynchard drove in two of Boyd’s three runs.

-- Steve Kirk

Lady Bulldogs Ride Winning Record Into District Opener

The new-look Lady Bulldogs enter into their District 9-4A season opener on Tuesday with a startlingly good pitcher and a winning record.

North will take its 8-2-1 mark against The Colony on Tuesday.

Leading the way into district will be pitcher Kristen Adkins. Adkins, who took over for four-year starter Becky Nye, has been solid. With three no-hitters, including one perfect game, Adkins has good command of the position and has instilled confidence in her teammates.

The Lady Bulldogs’ bats have warmed up as of late. North has scored 26 runs in its last three games after starting the season with three runs in its first three games. Amy Kilpatrick, Kelsey Schendt, Kathy Shelton and Adkins have excelled at the plate. Kilpatrick and Adkins have also recorded home runs. North has scored 46 runs at an average clip of 4.2 per game.

-- Rodney Williams

Lionettes Bring Winning Record Into District Opener

Things are looking good for the McKinney High softball program two weeks into the Jeremy Greenway regime.

McKinney (6-5) has more wins in its first 11 games than it had last year, and it won the San Antonio Tournament championship Feb. 17. The Lionettes swept through the tournament, defeating all four teams it faced by a combined 16-1 score.

McKinney went 2-3 and advanced to the Denton Ryan Tournament’s consolation championship game last weekend. Inclement weather, however, canceled McKinney’s consolation championship battle against Lewisville.

Freshman pitcher Leanne Shine is one of five freshmen playing a significant role in McKinney’s turnaround. Fellow freshmen Gina Guajardo, Jennifer Guzman, Ashley Thomas and Haley Pruitt join veterans Sam Licata, Lauren Touchberry, Molly Sexton and Whitley Molinar.

The Lionettes have outscored their opponents, 37-32. Shine has notched five shutouts, while McKinney has only been shut out once in a 5-0 defeat to Denton Ryan.   

-- Brent Yarina