For the third year in a row, the Grayson Vikings will be playing for a SW District Region V Championship after getting a win when they needed it most.
Game one
The Vikings faced off against a familiar foe in No. 4 Temple to start the day on Thursday.
After a scoreless first inning, Temple took the lead in the bottom of the second, getting a leadoff double from Ryley Litchfield, who scored on when KyLeigh Cambiano reached on an error.
The Vikings came right back in the third inning. Matti Matthews reached on an error and Jaclyn Draeger followed with her 11th homer of the season to put the Vikings ahead 2-1, where the score remained until the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth, the Vikings went to work with two out. Matthews and Draeger each singled and Maile Larsen drew a walk to load the bases. Willa Ford took the first pitch she saw and drove it to center for a two run single to extend the Viking lead to 4-1.
Temple cut the lead to 4-3 on a two run single from Reese Cottrell in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, Jasmine Benavidez's three run double put the Vikings in a 6-4 deficit that they couldn't overcome, dropping them into the consolation bracket against Midland.
Draeger (2-4), Matthews (2-4) and Ford (1-2) led the way offensively for the Vikings. Carolyn Koval started in the circle, going 5.2 innings giving up seven hits, six runs (four earned) and striking out three.
Game two
The second game of the day, put the Vikings in another showdown against Midland after their 10 inning game on Wednesday.
After a scoreless first inning, the Viking offense went to work in the second inning.
Ford drew a walk, stole second and moved to third on a flyout from Addisyn Cox. Mia Krueger followed with an RBI double for a 1-0 lead.
Midland grabbed the lead in the home second inning on a three run homer from Brianna Flores, to put Grayson in a 3-1 hole, but the Vikings kept fighting.
Maile Larsen led off the fourth with a double and scored on a two run homer from Ford (her 16th of the year) to tie the game at 3-3. The score remained tied until the sixth inning.
Ford led off the sixth with a single, Krueger followed with a walk and Paisley Needham loaded the bases with a single. Koval's bloop single gave the Vikings a 4-3 lead, while Aniyah Pequeno's RBI single extended the lead to 5-3.
In the seventh inning, Matthews led off with a double and moved to third on a single from Larsen. Ford's sac fly gave the Vikings an insurance run to make it 6-3. Natalie Moreaux slammed the door in the seventh inning to send the Vikings to the championship game.
Offensively, the Vikings were led by Ford who finished 2-2 with a homer and three RBI. Larsen, Matthews and Pequeno all had two hits each. In the circle, Riley Mays started the game, throwing three innings, giving up four hits, three runs (no earned runs) walking one and striking out two. Moreaux tossed four innings out of the bullpen allowing just a pair of walks, while striking out seven.
The Vikings battled Temple for the championship game on Friday, May 15.
