Maidens rally, hang on to down Weimar in big district victory

By Michael Brooks

Editor/General Manager

     When the 2024 softball season began, Ganado Maidens fans marked four district games as “can’t miss” games.

     On Tuesday night, Ganado faced Weimar, in the first of those four games, and walked away with a 6-4 victory. But the victory didn’t come easy as the Maidens had to fight from behind and then had to hold on to the lead to end the game.

     Weimar touched up freshman pitcher Saylor Bures for two runs in the first inning, but Bures was able to keep Weimar off the scoreboard until a very tense final inning.
     In the meantime, the Maidens plated a run in the second, and then, in the fifth inning, Chloe Gresham handed Ganado a lead when she put down a sacrifice bunt that tied the game. Isabel Tristan followed with a sacrifice bunt that scored another and Ganado went into the sixth inning with a 4-2 lead.

     "Walking up to the plate, all I knew was I had to step up and do a job," Gresham said. "Coach asked me if I could get a bunt down and I said yes. My teammates were going to be running no matter what so I had to get the ball on the ground."

     Bures held Weimar off the scoreboard in the top of the sixth and then the Maidens added some breathing room on Bella Adrian’s two-run home run.

     "I was originally looking for a pitch to lay a bunt down with but it didn’t work out," Adrian said. "After that I was looking for my pitch to hit. After I made contact with it, I knew it was going over the left fielders head, and then I realized she was playing barely off the fence."

     Moving to the top of the seventh, the Maidens held a 6-2 lead, but Weimar reminded everyone they are the defending state champion and weren’t about to go down without a fight.

     Weimar loaded the bases and was able to score two runs before the first out was made. Despite Weimar having runners on second and third, Bures and the Ganado defense were able to get the second out. The final out of the game came when Weimar had their best hitter at the plate. She fouled off a ball and first baseman Jaxyn Bures made an amazing diving catch into the fence to seal the victory.

     “In winning this game, we really showed execution and grit through the whole game,” Maidens Head Coach Jordin Craft said. "It was a minset we had coming into the game to help us in those situations. Early in the tournament season we have been testing our game and I think it helped us get through the seventh inning.

     “We have the motto ‘All gas and no brakes” and tonight it showed.”

     With the win, Ganado remains perfect in district play. Weimar has now dropped their second district game after falling to Shiner by one run to open district play.

     The Maidens will travel to Flatonia (2-4 overall, 2-2 district) for a 6 p.m. district game on Thursday.

     After that is another of the big four district games when Ganado hosts Shiner on Tuesday, March 19. The following two games against Weimar and Shiner are the final of the four big district games and will determine playoff seeding.

     "For us to have a chance at the district crown, we have to stay disciplined at the plate, execute when needed, and our defense needs to be solid," Adrian added.

     Right now, the Maidens have a leg-up on the district crown and a win over Shiner will put them solely in the driver’s seat.

Weimar 4 - Ganado 6

Madi Weempe 1 hit; Bella Adrian 1 home run, 3 RBI’s; Kalyn Benavides 3 hits, steal; Chloe Gresham 1 hit, 1 RBI; Isabel Tristan 1 RBI; Trinity Mayfield 1 steal; Faith Palacios 1 steal; Saylor Bures 7 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 7 strike outs.

-Photo by Kylie Fitch/Herald-Tribune