Highlanders win regional tournament & punch ticket to World Series

The #1 McLennan Highlanders punched their ticket to the NJCAA Division I Softball World Series with an 11-1 victory over the #12 Grayson Vikings this afternoon in the Region V North Championship game in Denison. Sophomore Katia Reyes picked up the win for the Highlanders, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out six in four innings.
 
McLennan took control with four runs in the top of the first inning. Taylor Meier drew a lead-off walk, and Madison Garcia singled. Trinity Allen also singled, loading the bases. Kyle Heine walked, scoring Meier, and Garcia scored on a ground out by Katia Reyes. Madison Hornback was hit by the pitch, and Allen scored on a sacrifice fly by Chesnee Faile. Heine then stole home.
 
Four more Highlander runs scored in the fourth. Meier and Garcia both singled, and Meier scored on an error that put Garcia on third. Allen then singled to score Garcia, and Heine followed with a two-run homer.
 
McLennan's final three runs came in the top of the fifth. Ellie Loveless walked and Meier doubled. Loveless scored on a ground out by Garcia, and Meier scored on a sacrifice fly by Allen. Heine then singled, stole second and scored on a single by Reyes.
 
Accayla King's solo home run in the bottom of the fifth would prove to be the only Viking run.
 
#1 McLennan 11, #12 Grayson 1
McLennan 400 430 0 – 11 14 0
Grayson 000 010 0 – 1 5 3
Katia Reyes, Makenzi Jenkins (5) and Kyla Heine. Layne Reh and Halle Giaudrone. WP: Reyes; LP: Reh. Leading hitters – McLennan: Taylor Meier (3-3, 2B), Madison Garcia (2-5, RBI), Kyla Heine (2-4, 3 RBI), Katia Reyes (1-3, 2 RBI) and Chesnee Faile (0-3, RBI); Grayson: Mena Zamarron (2-3, 2B), Emma Rodrigues (1-3, 2B) and Accayla King (1-3, HR, RBI) Record: McLennan 57-2 (31-1)
 
Next up: NJCAA Division I Softball World Series, May 20-25 in Oxford, Alabama