Headed for the playoffs!

Lady Bison Heather Sigert makes a throw to first to end an inning. Van’Go’photo A decisive 14-0 win last Tuesday night over Anderson Shiro gave the Lady Bison an undisputed claim on the district runner-up slot in the state playoffs. Buffalo will play Hemphill in a one game bi-district contest on Friday, April 30th, at 7:00 pm at Central High School in Pollock, Texas.

Jennifer Pate led off with a walk. The junior catcher stole two bases to get in scoring position. Pate scored on Jordyn Briscoe's single to left field. The Lady Bison shut down the Lady Owls in the first inning. Briscoe connected with first baseman Meredith Shaw for the first out before Rachel Morris struck out the next two batters.

Buffalo took control in the second inning, sending eleven batters to the plate and scoring eight runs. Courtney Cunningham reached on an error and Heather Egan drew a walk. Pate singled to score Cunningham. Briscoe's long ball to right field was mishandled, allowing her to get on and Egan to score. Nikki Dorman walked to load the bases. Morris stroked a double to the left field fence and brought in two runs to give the Lady Bison a 5-0 advantage. Sigert reached on an error, and the Lady Bison scored another run. Lindsey McGill singled and took an extra base, bringing home two teammates for a 8-0 Buffalo lead.

Senior Heather Egan hustles for home and scores a run in the Lady Bison’s one-sided victory over Anderson Shiro’s Lady Owls. The Lady Owls connected on their first hit in the second inning. With two outs, Anderson-Shiro managed a single, but a pop fly to McGill in centerfield ended the inning.

Briscoe and Morris doubled in the third inning, and Briscoe scored for Buffalo to lead 9-0. The bottom of the third brought on a catcher change. Pate took a blow to the jaw, so Sigert took charge behind the plate. Egan moved to second base, and Juana Vasquez entered the game in right field. Dorman and Shaw managed outs on pop ups and Morris struck out a batter to end the inning.

Speedster Lindsey McGill takes a lead in the Lady Bison victory over A-S. Van’Go’photo Samantha Atkinson led off in the fourth with a single. Anderson-Shiro turned a double play on the next at bat. Egan reached on an error as did Vasquez. Briscoe's single scored Egan, and Dorman picked up an RBI w hen she reached on an error. Morris cleared the bases with a single for Buffalo to lead 13-0.

Anderson-Shiro made some noise in the bottom of the fourth. Morris struck out the first batter, but the Lady Owls f ollowed with a single. Briscoe took out the lead runner on a fielder's choice to get the second out. A bunt got another runner on, and a single loaded the bases. A hit to the pitcher's circle resulted in an out at first to stop the rally.

Shaw reached on a walk in the fifth, and Cunningham singled. Egan's sacrifice scored Shaw before the Lady Bison picked up their third out.

In Anderson-Shiro's last at bat, the first batter took a base when hit by a pitch. Shaw fielded the ball to Egan for the first out. The Lady Owls advanced another batter with an error before the Lady Bison eliminated the lead lead runner on a fielder's choice. When the next batter made contact, Briscoe connected with Shaw for the final out and the 14-0 win.

The Lady Bison’s first playoff game will be Friday at Lufkin’s Central Pollock at 7:00 p.m.. They face Hemphill.

Coach Warren Ringland is positive about his team, stating, “They’re playing really well right now. They finished up district well -- the second half we were 6-1. You have to be prepared in the playoffs -- and I think we are.”