By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

CEDAR PARK – Rouse senior Madi George was intentionally walked in eight of her nine plate appearances in both games of the Raiders’ Class 5A Division II regional final series this week.

The one time Liberty Hill head coach Kristen Brewer didn’t intentionally walk George, the state’s home run leader added her 26th of the season in the Raiders’ 23-3 win in Game 1 Thursday at Vista Ridge High school

Brewer didn’t take any chances in Game 2 Friday. However, it wasn’t George that Liberty Hill needed to worry about.

Sophomore catcher Mariah Collins blasted a three-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the fifth inning as Rouse completed the sweep in the best-of-three series with an 8-1 win Friday at Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park.

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Collins has a remarkable series, going 3 for 3 with a double and six RBIs in Thursday’s 23-3 win over the Panthers (26-6-1). She was 2 for three on Friday with three RBIs and a home run.

George, an Ole’ Miss signee, was 1 for 1 for the series with a home run, eight walks, four RBIs and five runs scored.

Senior pitcher Blakeley Barber pitched a complete game and gave up one run and three hits and struck out nine batters. Bella Richardson took the loss for Liberty Hill.

Rouse (22-9-2) will advance to next week’s Class 5A Division II state semifinals and will face Montgomery Lake Creek. It will be the Raiders first ever appearance in the state semifinals.

Cedar Ridge forces a Game 3 with Dripping Springs

Cedar Ridge’s Gabriella Zulfekar belted a three-run home run off the scoreboard Friday at the Concordia University softball field as part of a six-run fourth inning Friday.

It proved to be enough as the Raiders went on to defeat Dripping Springs in Game 2 of a best-of-three Class 6A Division II regional final series and force a deciding Game 3 on Saturday, scheduled for 11 a.m. at Concordia.

Cedar Ridge’s win avenged Friday’s 4-3 extra-inning 4-3 loss to the Tigers (30-9-1) where an error allowed Emma Phillips to score the game-winning run.

The Raiders (25-5) attacked Dripping Springs Pitcher Tatum Green, who took the loss in the circle and gave up seven hits and three earned runs.

Caitlin Benningfield got the win for Cedar Ridge and gave up no earned runs and five hits with three strikeouts. The senior helped her cause at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI.

Click here for a full scoreboard of area games Friday.