The disappointment in their eyes showed that Liberty Hills softball players were not satisfied with reaching the Class 4A championship game.

This was one they could have won. Probably should have won, they said. Instead, they walked away from the UIL softball championships Saturday with silver medals draped around their necks and empty feelings dwelling in their hearts.

Krum pitcher Tristan Bridges flirted with danger at times, but she helped the Lady Cats escape with a 4-3 victory in the Class 4A title game at McCombs Field. Mixing a mean off-speed pitch with excellent location, Bridges struck out eight, raising her season total to 305. A junior, the Tarleton State pledge was named the games most valuable player.

She didnt get to be MVP by accident, Krum coach Bryan Chaney said. We call her Princess, and when shes in the circle, thats exactly what she is.

Bridges yielded just five hits, but four walks and three Krum errors gave Liberty Hill opportunities. The Panthers left nine players on base, though, an indication that they wasted some chances.

Liberty Hill (39-3-1) threatened in the seventh inning as Joely Williamson and Jessika Truax drew back-to-back one-out walks, but Bridges retired Kinsey Kuhlmann on a pop-up and Kandyn Faurie struck out to end it.

Krum (39-4) won a championship in its first trip to the state tournament.

Liberty Hill coach Charice Hankins and her players said Bridges kept the Panthers guessing.

She had a lot of spin on her pitches, and she kept popping us up a lot, Hankins said. She kept the ball outside enough where we couldnt always get solid contact.

Liberty Hill struck first Saturday, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Carissa Garza and Samantha Barnett opened the game with consecutive singles, and both moved up on a sacrifice by Joely Williamson. An infield error and a sacrifice fly to deep center by Kuhlmann gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

Krum took the lead for good, though, by scoring three runs in the second inning. Maddie Goins and Avery Williams had RBI singles, and McKenna Bruce drove in another run while reaching safely on an infield error.

Krum extended its lead to 4-2 in the fourth, but Liberty Hill countered with a run in the sixth. A triple by Kuhlmann preceded Krums third error of the game, allowing Kuhlmann to score and Faurie to reach first with no outs. With the Panthers down one run, Faurie moved to third on a two-out infield single by catcher Logan Oehler, but the threat ended when Garza grounded back to the mound.

After the game, Hankins congratulated her team for winning 39 games and reaching a state final. She also thanked two seniors, Williamson (bound for Utah State) and Barnett (Connecticut), for being team leaders.

Im disappointed in the moment, but were still a team of success, Williamson said. Were all just disappointed by the way it ended.

Instead of dwelling on the loss, Hankins said she will remember the good times.

Those seniors made hitting home runs cool the past few years, the coach said. We could not have asked for better leadership.

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Liberty Hill comes up short in Class 4A final, falling to Krum 4-3 - Austin American-Statesman