The Floydada Lady Winds pose with their District 3-2A trophy (Gilbert Trevino/Used with Permission)
AMARILLO – When you put momentum, playoff experience, hunger and talent together – chances are good for positive things to happen. The number 3 ranked Floydada Lady Winds (28-3-1) have all those intangibles heading into a best-of-three softball series in the Area round with the Sunray Lady Cats (20-5) this Friday at Tascosa’s Rebel Field in Amarillo. Game one will begin at 4:00 p.m., followed by game two approximately 30 minutes later. The series will conclude with game three at noon Saturday if necessary.
“We feel good about our chances with Sunray.” explains Coach Armando Morales. “I have seen them play in person plus obtained some other scouting information. Sunray has two good pitchers that I feel we will see in Mia Gray and Lisa Sandoval. Both throw to the strike zone and very seldom walk a batter. Gray has a little more velocity in the lower 50’s, while Sandoval throws in the upper 40’s to 50 miles per hour.”
“They have probably four girls can go yard on you if they connect with the right pitch,” the 13-year veteran coach added. “Again, Gray and Sandoval are the strongest of those players. I think Sunray’s defense has some good arms to throw out base runners. They will demand our best effort.”
Floydada rides into Amarillo with the momentum of going through the 3-2A schedule with a 12-0 record, a second straight district championship and an overwhelming sweep of Post in bi-district with scores of 10-0 and 20-0. Senior Erin Trevino threw a pair of one-hitters against Post with 24-strikeouts in the double header to raise her season total to 208 K’s for the season and 500 for her high school career.
Floydada’s batting lineup at times can be lethal with a .495 team batting average that averages 11 runs on 12 hits per outing. The Lady Winds slap close to five extra bases hits per game. They have 11 home runs on the season as a team.
Some of the Lady Winds top individual producers include Clari Delafuente with a team high .628 batting average and 30-stolen bases, plus second from top with 54 runs scored. Marissa Obregon hits for a .611 average and leads the team with hits (58) and RBI (43). Carissa Fernandez is hitting at .562 and is tops on the squad in three categories – doubles (21), runs scored (57) and walks (27). Analise Perez has a .518 batting average plus tied with Obregon for a team high 43-RBI.
“An interesting memory about playing at Tascosa, approximately ten years ago Floydada won its first softball playoff trophy by beating Sanford-Fritch in a one-game bi-district playoff contest. Bethany Morales pitched the win that day,” says Morales. “Her motivation was seeing the Bi-District trophy through the press box window continually as she pitched. Bethany wanted the Lady Winds to get that trophy. She was a sophomore that season and is now our assistant coach. It was a great day at Rebel Field.” Morales, now in his 13th year, wants the 2022 Lady Winds to have the same experience in Amarillo.
The winner of the Floydada-Sunray series will advance to the Regional Quarterfinals to play either Forsan (15-8) or Clarendon (15-3). Forsan and Clarendon are playing a one game playoff Thursday at 5:00 p.m. in Littlefield.
106.1 FLiP FM will have the broadcast of the area playoff series starting Friday at 3:50 p.m. Former Lady Wind Kylie Ricketts will joining in on the call.
