Guyer softball falls to Pearland in first-ever state championship game

Still, the outcome was merely a sour end to an otherwise special season.

Guyer (38-2) made its second state tournament appearance in program history, having advanced to the 4A semifinals in 2010, and earned its first-ever trip to the state title game after beating Bridgeland 6-3 in the state semifinals. The Lady Wildcats also had a program record 35-game win streak during the season, a run snapped by a loss they rallied from in the regional final round.

A group headlined by nine players either signed or committed to play college softball left its legacy among the program’s all-time great squads.

“I’m so proud of them, they fought their tails off,” Guyer head coach Keith Medford said. “Pearland was just a little better today. I just want to make sure they understand what kind of legacy they’ve left. They set the bar so high.

“Everybody used to talk about the 2010 team. Now we’re going to talk about this team, for decades. I don’t think they realize that yet, but they will.”

The Lady Wildcats ran into a hot-hitting Pearland team that scored its four runs on 10 hits and left 13 runners stranded on base as Guyer rallied to escape several jams throughout the contest.

Those efforts at the plate proved plenty as UT-Arlington signee Abigail Gutierrez went the distance in the circle, striking out six while surrendering five hits, two walks and one earned run.

“I’m disappointed in the outcome of the game, but I’m in no way disappointed in the kids,” Medford said. “They were just better than us today. Hats off to [Pearland], they did a great job. Like a state championship should be, it was a close game, down to the wire. They were just a little bit better than us today.”

Guyer struck first as it scored two runs in the top of the first inning.

A pair of bunt singles set the table for Abilene Christian signee Avery Jefferson to lay down a third bunt and reach on an errant throw to first that scored Oregon pledge Kaylynn Jones. Texas State commit Erin Peterson then plated Texas A&M-Commerce signee Tehya Pitts with a sacrifice bunt to make it 2-0.

Pearland answered in the bottom of the second as it loaded the bases with no outs, then starting pitcher Finley Montgomery walked in one run before an RBI single tied it at 2-2 and ended her first stint in the circle.

Incarnate Word pledge Jenny Robledo entered and one more run scored on a sacrifice fly to left field before she escaped a bases loaded jam, making it 3-2 in Pearland’s favor through two innings.

After a pair of threatening innings, Pearland added to its tally in the bottom of the fifth. A two-out bloop single to left-center plated one run to make it 4-2 before Robledo escaped, stranding runners on first and second.

Montgomery reentered in the bottom of the sixth after Robledo surrendered a leadoff walk and eventually escaped a bases loaded jam unscathed.

Guyer had two chances to narrow the deficit after it increased in the fifth, but went down in order in the sixth and could not take advantage of a leadoff single in the seventh.

As the season meets its end, an emotional Medford said after the game he will most miss being around this year’s group after spending so much time with them.

“The loss is going to sting, but what’s really going to sting is not getting to be around this group,” Medford said. “Every group is different. We’re losing five kids out of this group, so it’s never going to be the same. That’s the hard part as a coach.

“I just love ‘em to death, man. I’m heartbroken for ‘em, because I know it hurts ‘em.”