Lady Indians rally for 5-3 bi-district win over Hamilton

GODLEY — Freshman Dawson Oliver's double on a grounder scored two runs as Lipan broke a 3-3 tie for a 5-3 win over Hamilton, giving the Lady Indians a bi-district softball championship in Godley on April 28.

Oliver's game-winner almost overshadowed a gutsy outing for Lipan starting pitcher Neali Overton, who scattered nine hits while striking out eight batters. Overton was stingy and issued just two walks as she worked the plate and kept Hamilton's sluggers guessing.

Hamilton challenged until the end, and Overton faced a game-tying situation in the seventh inning when a runner got on base and eventually got to third via a passed ball. Overton doused the Lady Bulldogs' hopes when she whizzed the ball past a swinging batter for the final out.

The sophomore hurler went back over the final out following the game.

"I'm just thinking how I need to focus on this one pitch and getting this batter out and just concentrating on her," Overton said. "If they hit it, I knew my team would back me up. It was a very close game."

Oliver, a freshman, faced an equally pressure-packed moment with her at-bat.

"I was nervous, very nervous. We've been in those kinds of situations before, but I was very excited out there, and I'm glad I got the hit to help my team," Oliver said.

Overton got things started for Lipan in the first inning when she singled to score Abby Clyburn. Cada Davis’ double scored Oliver in the fourth inning.

Hamilton rallied with a triple and double to take a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning, and Lipan was down to six outs to make a comeback.

Ashlyn Clark's patience at the plate drew a walk, and shortstop Paxton Murry's single drove her across the plate. Jolee Tuggle's bunt single put two runners on the basepaths and set up the stage for Oliver's heroics.

"Our girls played solid. We had that one shaky inning defensively, and some crazy stuff happened, and they scored three runs," Lipan head coach Tony Phillips said. “That was our worst nightmare for that to happen. We were having a hard time. We had five runners thrown out on the bases. They turned a double play on us when we should have scored."

Did the lack of runs and the "almosts" worry Phillips?

"I think in the back of our minds, we believe we should have (had) more runs and for them to go ahead for us to bounce back -- I'm pretty proud of the girls.

Philips shared what he told his pitcher during a timeout.

"I'm just telling her to calm down and just relax and let the defense work," Phillips said. Sometimes she takes on herself to do all the work to get the batter out. I just tell her to have confidence in the defense playing behind her."

The Lady Indians collected 10 hits, with Clyburn, Overton and Oliver posting two each. Clark, Tuggle, Murry and Cada Davis each had one.

Russell@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066 ext. 231