A series between two powerhouse playoff softball teams starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight as the Waco Midway Panthers [25-11] face off against the Farmers [23-12] in the regional quarterfinals at Glen Rose High School.
The Panthers swept their first two playoff series after going 13-1 in district for the 1st place seed. Midway outscored its opponents 30-7 over the four games. After being shut out by LD Bell in the postseason opener, the Farmers have powered their way to four straight wins, outscoring Bell and Mansfield by a combined score of 45-12.
Midway swept Hebron in area, only giving up a combined three runs in both games. The Farmers beat the Hawks by 9 and lost by 1 in district play.
Game 2 and if needed game 3 will be played in a possible doubleheader on Saturday at 12:30 and 3 p.m. also at Glen Rose.
The Panther pitchers throw many rise balls, according to senior catcher Emily Lasky, as Callee Guffery and Chandler Coskrey both have recorded 10 wins. Guffery led in pitching with a .86 ERA and 113 strikeouts, according to the Waco Tribune Herald.
Lasky said former pitchers have come in to help the team practice hitting rise balls. She added that the team has been going over scouting reports and gathering as much information as it can with the help of the Hebron coach.
Panthers player Taylor Ellis led the team offensively during the regular season with 51 hits, 19 stolen bases, 6 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a batting average of .514.
Midway is ranked 37th in the state, while the Farmers are 30th, according to maxpreps.com on Thursday. The game was moved from Stephenville to Glen Rose after heavy rainfall. The Glen Rose field has artificial turf, which Lasky said will be new to many of the Farmer players.
Lasky attributes the team’s success to being there for each other during everything.
“[The key is] the team working all together as a family, as sisters,” Lasky said. “We all stick together and have each other’s backs no matter what. If someone messes up, we are there for each other.”
The other two district teams still alive in the playoffs are Flower Mound and Marcus, who meet each other in the quarterfinals this weekend.
