MISD Softball Tournament

North Wins Two More, MHS Loses Twice

Kristen Adkins is loving McKinney North’s recent power surge.

“They say that home runs are accidents, that they’re a ball you hit hard that you just [got under],” Adkins said. “I say, let’s keep having those accidents because they look good.”

North hit three home runs in two wins Saturday at the McKinney ISD Tournament. Amanda Parsonage hit a pair of homers in North’s 10-1 win over Midlothian and Lindsey Post cleared the fence in a 5-0 victory over Azle.

North (14-2-1), which went 5-0 in the tournament, hit five home runs at Gabe Nesbitt Community Park.

“I knew we were capable of that kind of power. We just hadn’t done that in the past,” North coach Debbie Evans said. “The kids are hitting the ball real well.”

Adkins, who hit two home runs Friday, has been making the most noise with her right arm. She tallied two more complete game victories Saturday, including a two-hit, 10-strikeout performance against Azle.

“She did a great job,” Evans said. “She kept the hitters off-balance and did what she came to do.”

Adkins also got some help from her defense. Center fielder Kelsey Schendt made a running catch in the right-centerfield gap in the first against Azle, and Post made a diving stop up the middle and flipped the ball to second for a force to end the first.

Adkins called both outs “spectacular plays.”

“They’re great athletes,” Adkins said. “They go 100 percent for every play and never give up. Most people don’t think they can make those plays, but these kids lay out for every single ball.”

Adkins didn’t need much help after the first. She retired nine of the final 15 outs on strikeouts. Only two Azle balls left the infield in the final five innings.

“I can’t say that I’m going to strike out everyone,” Adkins said. “The best I can do is keep them from hitting the ball hard and give my defense the best chance to make a play.”

Post led the Lady Bulldogs’ offense against Azle, going 2-for-4 with a homer, double and two runs. Hannah Moseley also notched two hits, Kathy Shelton, Schendt, Adkins, Meghan Knowles and Parsonage all had one hit apiece.

North plays at McKinney High at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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Credit: Elise Anderson
Staff Photographer

Forgettable Inning Costs Lionettes

McKinney High had just taken it first lead when everything went wrong against Coppell on Saturday.

McKinney’s Ashley Thomas scored on a Sam Licata single to give the Lionettes a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. A disastrous bottom of the fourth, featuring three errors and six runs, however, sent Coppell to an 8-1 victory in the McKinney ISD Invitational.

The Lionettes, who lost earlier in the day to Allen, 4-2, finished the tournament with an 0-5 record.

Starter Leanne Shine kept Coppell scoreless through the first three innings. The fourth started with a ground out to Licata, followed by three consecutive singles. A sacrifice fly recorded the second out, but the next batter singled and McKinney committed three consecutive errors, leading to the six-run inning.

McKinney (7-10) was limited to just three singles. Jordan Calk delivered the first hit on an infield single in the third, while Thomas and Licata added singles in the fourth.

Ten of McKinney’s 15 outs came on strikeouts, including five of its last six outs. Only one McKinney starter didn’t strike out at least once.

In the earlier game against Allen, the Lady Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead. McKinney cut the deficit to 3-2, before Allen hit a homer in its final at-bat. Haley Pruitt, Lauren Touchberry, Jennifer Guzman and Chelsey Rephan all had one hit apiece. Leah Durham and Rephan scored McKinney’s two runs.

McKinney hosts McKinney North at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

*The score for McKinney Boyd’s final game against Anna was not reported or listed at the tournament