Despite turning around the second half of its district schedule, a loss to Colleyville Heritage with one district game remaining ended all chances for the Carroll softball team to earn a playoff berth this season.
The Lady Dragons (10-12 overall, 5-8 in District 5-5A) seemed to be salvaging what had started off as an 0-4 district record that dropped the team into last place as of March 11. But after winning five of its next eight games, Carroll put itself in position for an outside shot at the district’s final playoff spot.
Carroll’s second meeting with Colleyville Heritage (21-9, 10-3) on Tuesday ruined that, as the Lady Dragons fell by a 7-0 final. With fourth-place Keller already having won seven games, Carroll needed to win out and hope for a meltdown by the Lady Indians in order to have a chance at seeing the postseason.
Colleyville ended that hope in a hurry, scoring four runs in the first inning and taking a 5-0 lead by the second inning. Lady Dragons pitcher Lindsay Carlson took the loss, having pitched the complete game. However, Carroll’s five errors did not help the senior pitcher’s cause int the contest.
Ironically, it was a March 14 win over Colleyville, currently the second-place team in district, that began the Lady Dragons’ district turnaround. Carroll, which had been in a bit of an offensive slump in its first four district games, broke out with 10 hits to capture a 3-2 victory over the Lady Panthers. Carlson pitched that game as well, earning the win by holding Colleyville to five hits.
The victory triggered a stretch in which Carroll won three of four games and found itself jumping back into the playoff race. Of the five games the Lady Dragons won over the next eight games, three were against current playoff teams in Colleyville, Richland and Keller. District leader Northwest (21-7, 12-1) is the only playoff team Carroll was unable to overcome.
However, the Lady Dragons will be left with thoughts of “what if,” as Carroll was unable to hold comeback attempts against Grapevine (9-15, 5-8) in district play. Carroll came back from a deficit to tie the Lady Mustangs, 4-4, before Grapevine secured a 9-4 victory on Feb. 29. On March 25, the Lady Dragons came back from a 3-0 deficit to the Lady Mustangs with a four-run seventh that gave Carroll a 4-3 lead, only to blow the game, 5-4, when two errors allowed Grapevine to score the winning run in the bottom of the inning.
Things were much more exciting for Carroll this season as compared to their 2007 campaign, when the Lady Dragons won their first district game only to lose their final 13 and never find itself in the running for a playoff spot.
Carroll will finish its season with a home contest against Keller Central (0-11 in district) at 4:30 this afternoon.