Softball: #2 Hurricanes Can’t Solve Weis’ Pitching, Repeat as 1A Runner-Up

Houston softball will long remember the name of Laney Weis. In two playoffs games, after an undefeated regular season, the Southland senior pitcher was a riddle the Hurricanes could not solve, twice.  Houston (1-seed, 22-0), ranked #2 in A, began its week in Austin for the “chair” game with their rival the Rebels (2-seed, 18-2).  Southland’s two losses were both to the Hurricanes, and Houston entered having won five straight in the series. Rebel junior pitcher Laney Weis (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) controlled things, holding them to their first goose-egg of the year.  The game started with Southland’s first two hitters waylaying the ball.  Hurricane pitcher Claire Frauenkron caught the second and doubled off Weis (who opened with a double) at second. But Southland out-hit Houston 8 to 3.  All the game’s runs were scored in the fourth.  Southland started with three straight singles.  The biggest hit was later a two-run single by nine hitter Camryn Deters, giving Southland a 4-0 lead.  Houston got just two runners into scoring position and none past second base in falling 4-0.  Weis (2-3, 2B) and Shannon Keifer (2-3, R) had two hits for the Rebels.  Claire Frauenkron (1-3; 7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, Loss) and Caidence Frauenkron (1-3) had Houston’s hits.  The Hurricanes then turned around on Memorial Day and played Lewiston-Altura (3-seed, 16-10). Offenses were on display. Houston (1-seed, 22-1) had a massive fourth inning, as Rylee Boldt and Caidence F. each hit three-run homers.  An eight-run inning gave the ‘Canes an 11-3 lead.  But L-A kept hitting and Houston had to take outs when they came. The Cardinals pulled as close as 12-8 after six.  But with the ‘Canes switching between the Frauenkron sisters on the mound, starter Claire (5 2/3 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, Win) came back in and got the last six outs.  In a game with 28 hits, Houston won by 12-8 final and moved back to their second straight 1A final.  Caidence F. (1-2, HR) drove in five, adding two RBI sac flies to her home run.  Boldt (3-4, HR, 2 R) drove in three.  Olivia Yohe (3-4, RBI, R), Aspen Peterson (3-4, 2B, RBI, R), and Kylie Stinson (2-3, 2 R) had multiple hits.  Teagan Hartman (2-4, RBI, 2 R) and A.J. Barkeim (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R) led L-A. 

And thus, two days later, the #2 Hurricanes (1-seed, 23-1) again played Southland (2-seed, 19-2), needing to beat the Rebels twice to make state.  Again, Weis controlled things, though Houston twice nearly missed scoring.  In the first, Claire F. ripped a shot off the top of the fence, but was stranded with a double.   In the second with a runner on first, Peterson ripped a (ground rule) double, which probably preventing a run from scoring.  Both runners were stranded in scoring position. Weis had the game’s first run on a solo home run in the third. Over the last four innings, Houston had just one base runner, and it was wiped away on a game-ending double play.  Southland added an insurance run and earned the state berth by 2-0 final. Weis (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K; 1-4, RBI, R) led the way.  Claire F. (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; 1-2, 2B) took the loss.  Peterson (2-3, 2B) had two hits.  In Houston’s 23 wins on the year, they scored 270 runs. Their previous lowest scoring games were five runs and six runs.  But versus Southland in the playoffs, zero twice.  It’s a disappointing end to a tremendous year that started with 22 straight wins.  Yohe is the team’s only senior to play significantly with Danica Stampka and Averie Evanson the other two. Josh Swenson’s Hurricanes have four juniors and five freshmen who play a lot.  Their fantastic season concludes at 23-2 as 1A Runner-Up for the second straight year.