TAPPS recap: Grapevine Faith softball, Weatherford Christian baseball one win from title

SOFTBALL

Grapevine Faith 7, Bullard The Brook Hill School 2

The Lions scored six runs in the fourth inning to down Brook Hill in a TAPPS Division 2 state semifinal game on Friday in Waco. Faith will return to Waco ISD Stadium Saturday and play for the state championship at 3 pm against the winner of Friday night’s game between Houston Second Baptist and Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian.

Ashley Nevill doubled in a run in the first inning that gave the Lions a 1-0 lead.

Brook Hill went in front 2-1 in the bottom of the second.

Faith scored six runs on four hits and 12 batters came to the plate to turn the 2-1 deficit into a 7-1 lead. Anacapri Ciccone and Nevill led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Ciccone scored on an RBI triple from Morgen Wirt. With the bases loaded, the Lions added two more runs on a hit by pitch and walk.

Ciccone came to the plate for the second time in the inning and added an RBI single.

Ellie Estridge pitched seven innings and allowed seven hits with a pair of strikeouts.

This is the third state final appearance for Faith, which won titles in 2005 and 2012.

Plano John Paull II 10, Dallas Ursuline 2

The Cardinals, making their first trip to the TAPPS state softball tournament, will look for the program’s first state championship after taking down Ursuline in a Division 1 semifinal game Friday in Waco.

JPII (24-3-2) will play for the title at 11 am Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium against the winner between Houston St. Agnes and San Antonio Antonian.

Emily Jonte, Emma Rodrigues and Sammi Samler homered for the Cardinals. Jonte pitched 4 1/3 innings allowing two hits and striking out seven. Samler and Sarah Lyons each went 3 for 4 as JPII dished out 13 hits overall.

BASEBALL

Weatherford Christian 5, Red Oak Ovilla Christian 2

The Lions are a win away from defending their state title after taking down Ovilla in a TAPPS Division 5 semifinal game Friday in Waco. They will play at Waco ISD Stadium at 2 pm Saturday against either Hallettsville Sacred Heart or Bulverde Bracken Christian.

WC scored all five of its runs in the bottom of the third with 10 batters coming to the plate.

After a walk and back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases with no outs, Rand Greene singled in a run to get the Lions within 2-1. Ovilla scored both its runs in the second inning. Back-to-back walks pushed the Lions ahead 3-2 and Blake Heid capped the inning with a two-run single.

Ovilla was held to only three hits in the final five innings. Ethan Smith finished the final five innings from the mound for Weatherford Christian and struck out 10 batters.

Midland Classical 8, Watauga Harvest 3

A five-run first inning from Midland Classical doomed the Saints a chance at a state final berth during a TAPPS Division 4 semifinal game Friday in Waco.

The Saints last made the tournament in 2017 and won a state title in 2005.

Midland Classical also scored in a run in the second, third and fourth inning to up its lead to 8-1.

Ayden Cooper led off the third inning for the Saints with a single and scored two batters later on an RBI ground out by Angel Perez. Watauga Harvest added a second run in the fifth on Cooper’s RBI single.

Bradley Peterson drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh. The Saints had the bases loaded with one out, but MC was able to strike out consecutive batters to end it.