Hailey Ortega belted a three-run home run in the third inning and Lexi Ruiz was strong in the circle as Santa Gertrudis Academy beat Kirbyville 4-2 to advance to the program’s fourth UIL state championship game in softball.
The Lions swept the best-of-three Class 3A Division II softball state semifinal series in Seguin and will face the winner between Coahoma and Grand Saline at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 28 at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin.
Ortega’s blast was one of six hits for Santa Gertrudis Academy in the win and produced the only runs for the Lions until Araballa De Leon smacked an RBI single for an insurance run in the sixth.
De Leon led the team at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a run and the RBI. Cami Recio and Savannah Perales also had hits for the Lions in the win.
Ruiz scattered six hits and struck out four, holding Kirbyville to two runs.
The Lions improved to 40-4 on the season and will play for the state championship for the first time since 2023.
Santa Gertrudis Academy is aiming for the school’s first state championship in softball since 2018.
GAME 2
SANTA GERTRUDIS ACADEMY 4, KIRBYVILLE 2
W — Lexi Ruiz. L — C. Wiggins.
Highlights — SGA, Ruiz 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K; C. Recio 1-3; H. Ortega 1-3, R, HR, 3 RBIs; S. Perales 1-2, R, 3B; A. DeLeon 3-3, R, RBI
Game 1
The Santa Gertrudis Academy softball team weathered a lightning delay and a seventh inning rally to earn a 7-6 win over Kirbyville in Game 1 of a Class 3A Division II state semifinal series in Seguin.
The Lions roared out of the gate and hit two home runs in the first inning and were led by K’Lee Bazan, who was 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs. Adelyn Lopez was 4 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI and Hailey Ortega was 3 for 4 with one home run and a double as Santa Gertrudis Academy amassed 13 hits, including six extra-base hits.
D’Andra Fernandez scattered eight hits in seven innings, allowing six runs with one walk and four strikeouts to earn the win for the Lions.
Santa Gertrudis Academy stretched the lead to 7-4 in the sixth inning, but a lightning delay was called just before the bottom of the seventh inning.
After the delay, Kirbyville had two singles and a double and had runners on second and third, having cut the deficit to 7-6 before Fernandez struck out Lilly Cooper and induced a ground out from Emma Clotiaux to close out the win.
Game 2 is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, May 23 in Seguin when the Lions will try to advance to the state championship game for the fourth time.
GAME 1
SANTA GERTRUDIS ACADEMY 7, KIRBYVILLE 6
W — D. Fernandez. L — C. Wiggins.
Highlights —SGA, Fernandez 7 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 4 K; K. Bazan 3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBIs; H. Ortega 3-4, 3 R, 2B, HR, RBI; A. Lopez 4-4, R, 2B, RBI; M. Munoz 1-4, RBI; S. Perales 1-4; A. DeLeon 1-4.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Ortega home run helps Santa Gertrudis Academy advance to state championship
Reporting by Quinton Martinez, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
