Class 5A Region I quarterfinal softball playoff

Lewisville freshman Kaylee Rodriquez (9) bats against Timberview during a Class 5A Region I quarterfinal softball playoff game at Killough field in Lewisville on Saturday, May 10, 2014.

photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News

Please watch the YouTube slideshow with an original beats SoundStripe.

Lewisville battles Timberview during a Class 5A Region I quarterfinal softball playoff game at Killough field in Lewisville on Saturday, May 10, 2014. Timberview won the first two games of the series and advanced.

Frisco Wakeland softball standouts

photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News

Frisco Wakeland's Tess Soefje (16) smiles at her coach after diving safely back to 1st base during a high school softball game at McKinney High School on March 9, 2010.


Frisco Wakeland's Alexis Cantu (3) pitches during a high school softball game at McKinney High School.



Frisco Wakeland's Alexis Cantu (3) checks her swing during a high school softball game at McKinney High School.

5A Regional Finals softball

Plano East's Taylor Jones (No. 16, right) pitches against Flower Mound Marcus' Kacie Hildreth (No. 17, left) during a 5A regional final softball game in Frisco on Wednesday, May 27, 2009.


photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News


Flower Mound Marcus' Devon Wallace hits a single against Plano East during a 5A regional final softball game in Frisco.


Plano East's Rachel Scott (No. 9, right) skirts around Flower Mound Marcus' Kacie Hildreth (No. 17, left) and gets safely to 2nd base during a 5A regional final softball game.


Although out, Plano East's Chandler Cink (No. 5, right) keeps Flower Mound Marcus' Courtney Flanary (No. 6, center) off balance and allows a teammate to get to 1st base during a 5A regional final softball game in Frisco.

4A Softball playoff

Rockwall's Audrey Farfan (No. 7) hits the ball during a 4A softball playoff game against Mesquite Poteet at Wylie High School in Wylie on Saturday May, 23, 2009.


photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News


Mesquite Poteet's Jordan Hartsell (No. 1) gets caught in a squeeze play from Rockwall's Haley Lemons (No. 16), Kat Brown (No. 18) and Ashton Atwell (No. 12) during a 4A softball playoff game at Wylie High School.


Rockwall's Haley Lemons (No. 16, left) sprints for 1st base as Mesquite Poteet's Bradie Baker (No. 20, right) moves for the throw out during a 4A softball playoff game in Wylie.


Rockwall's Cyndi Bertrand (No. 2, left) reaches for a ball as Mesquite Poteet's Lindsey Barsoum (No. 10, right) starts a slide into 2nd base during a 4A softball playoff game.


Mesquite Poteet's Jessi Black (No. 7, bottom) slides safely under Rockwall's Cyndi Bertrand (No. 2, top) during a 4A softball playoff game at Wylie High School.


Mesquite Poteet's Mackenzie Middlebrook (No. 28, bottom) misses a throw as Rockwall's Audrey Farfan (No. 7) sprints to 3rd base during a 4A softball playoff game in Wylie.



Rockwall's Shelby Frierson (No. 3, bottom) is called safe as Mesquite Poteet catcher Brenna Wright (No. 13, center) tries to get the tag during a 4A softball playoff game at Wylie High School.


Rockwall's Audrey Farfan (No. 7, left) keeps a foot on the plate as Mesquite Poteet's Bradie Baker (No. 20, right) is forced out at home during a 4A softball playoff game at Wylie High School in Wylie.

5A Softball playoff

Coppell's Peyton Mosley (No. 3) pitches against Plano during a 5A softball playoff game at Plano Senior High School in Plano on Friday May, 15, 2009.


photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News


Plano's Macy Burr (No. 1) hits a pitch during a softball playoff game against Coppell at Plano Senior High School.



Plano's Abbi Frakes (No. 5) pitches against Coppell during a softball playoff game at Plano Senior High School.



Coppell's Rachel Forshaw (No. 5) rounds second base during a softball playoff game against Plano at Plano Senior High School.

Costly collision

Rockwall's Amanda Harmon (No. 10, left) smashes into Frisco Centennial's Kristen Hill (No. 12, right) at home plate during a 4A Regional Quarterfinal softball playoff game at Wylie High School in Wylie on Tuesday May, 19, 2009.


photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News


Rockwall's Amanda Harmon (No. 10, center) cries as she finds part of her tooth at home plate after a collision with Frisco Centennial's catcher during a 4A Regional Quarterfinal softball playoff game. Harmon scored, but lost part of a tooth. Rockwall won the series and advanced.

Plano softball rivalry

photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News

Plano's Vonnie Martin (No. 25, bottom) slides safely into 2nd base as Plano West's Valerie Johnson (No. 3, top) recovers the ball during a high school softball game at Plano Senior High School in Plano on Friday, April 3, 2009.


Plano West's Magean De La Torre celebrates an out during a high school softball game at Plano Senior High School.



Plano's Abbi Frakes pitches during a high school softball game against Plano West at Plano Senior High School.


Plano West's Christina Roosmalen (No. 15, bottom) successfully steals 3rd base as Plano's Kat Batey (No. 14, top) tries to get a tag during a high school softball game at Plano Senior High School in Plano on Friday, April 3, 2009.

Playing cool

Sarah Embry (No. 12) of the Texas Aces from Pearland mists herself with a fan to keep cool during the American Fastpitch Association national softball tournament at Ford Park in Beaumont on Saturday, July 30, 2005.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Kelly's softball superstitions

Kelly High School junior Caitlin Harvey waits for her turn in the batting cage at the school in Beaumont on Thursday, May 1, 2008. Harvey forgot her new cleats and had to wear old cleats for an important game the team won. Since then, teammates have convinced her to wear the worn shoes for every practice and game.


Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Please read, "Yeah, Kelly softball players work hard, but they don't push their luck" by Perryn Keys.

AFA hair braid

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Sheryl Shepherd (right) braids the hair of Allison Hinton (left) with the Houston-based Texas Peppers Gold softball team during the AFA Nationals Championship tournament at Ford Park in Beaumont on Thursday, July 26, 2007. Area storms threatened to delay games.

A boy at a girls' event

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Spencer Wilson, 4, of Cleveland, Texas makes his own fun with a cup and sand on an empty softball diamond during the AFA Championships softball tournament at Ford Park in Beaumont on Wednesday, July 25, 2007.


Spencer Wilson, 4, of Cleveland, Texas knocks a mound of sand off a cup on an empty softball diamond during the AFA Championships softball tournament at Ford Park.

AFA slide

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Texas Sting's Kait Postle (left) slides safely to second base as Round Rock Blaze National's Kendall Lucas (right) jumps for the ball during the AFA Championship softball tournament at Ford Park in Beaumont on Wednesday, July 25, 2007.

AFA Nationals

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Mecca Jamerson of Gardena, Calif. tries to stay cool with a battery-powered fan during the AFA North American Championship softball tournament at Ford Park in Beaumont on Tuesday, July 24, 2007.


Sydney Wilson of the Louisiana Patriots softball team from Baton Rouge watches opponents play during the AFA North American Championship softball tournament at Ford Park.

Recovering coach

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Coach Keith Graham of the Oklahoma Firebirds watches his team play during the AFA 18-and-under North American Championships softball tournament at Ford Park in Beaumont on Tuesday, July 24, 2007. Graham is recovering from surgery two weeks ago to remove squamous cell cancer and have a segment of his tongue and 50 lymph nodes along his neck removed.

Please read, "From Minnesota to Beaumont for cancer treatment then softball..." by Chris Dabe.

Silsbee's softball senior

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Silsbee High School senior Caroline McClelland fields a softball during practice at the school in Silsbee on Tuesday, April 24, 2007. McClelland is the only senior on the 3A team as the team moves into the playoffs this week.

Softball standout

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Bridge City High School pitcher Shandi Conner poses for a portrait at the school in Bridge City on Wednesday, March 21, 2007.

Shutout

Nederland's Lindsey Rossi (No. 8) hits a single against Port Neches-Groves during a softball game at Nederland High School on Thursday, April 5, 2007. Rossi went 2-for-3 and scored two runs on the way to a 7-0 win over the No. 2 ranked team in their district.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



PN-G's Jessica Shields (No. 3) jogs to the bench after being struck out during a softball game at Nederland High School in Nederland. PN-G only got two hits all night and 10 strikeouts.

Please read "Nederland blanks PN-G in softball" by Perryn Keys.

AFA National Championship run

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Carolyn Boyd (right) slides safely across the plate for a score as Kim Villalpando (left) tries to recover during the AFA National Tournament championship game at Ford Park. The Germantown (Tenn.) Red Devils beat Los Angeles' Strike Force 7-0 and took the championship.
 

AFA National Tournament

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Beaumont Blast Gold's Melissa Verde pitches as Colleen Carerra (No. 2, left) prepares to run and Janie Juarez (No. 9, right) is at bat during the American Fastpitch Association National Tournament at Ford Park in Beaumont on Tuesday, August 1, 2006.


Beaumont Blast Gold's Melissa Verde dives to first base during the American Fastpitch Association National Tournament against the Texas Tigers of Seguin, Texas at Ford Park. Although the Beaumont Blast fielded several teams this year, the Gold team won the tournament last year.

We selected these two images before we checked the jersey numbers and realized both images are of the same person. Good job Melissa. :-)

I've also updated the "How to shoot baseball and softball" post. Thanks to Gatorbait for the info.

The rule in softball is the players can't lead off the base, however they can run and potentially steal bases as soon as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand.
 

Congratulations Lady Bears

Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School's Cody Trahan (No. 22) pitches a softball during the Class 4A, Region III semifinals at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu on Friday, May 19, 2006. The team won the series and went on to become this year's Texas State 4A champions.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


LC-M's Jessica Wells (No. 7) swings at a softball during the Class 4A, Region III semifinals at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu.