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Lady Eagles two wins away from first state titleFree Access


SURVIVE AND ADVANCE — The Decatur Lady Eagles rallied back to claim the final two games of the 4A Region I final against Burkburnett to advance to the state tournament later this week. MACK THWEATT/WCMESSENGER

With a dugout filled with talented players, Decatur coach Bryan Chaney and the Lady Eagles chose the acronym GRIT — Get Ready, It’s Time — as the program’s motto at the beginning of the season. 

Little did they know then that they would have to live out the motto’s true definition to have a chance to battle for a state title. 

“I just think it’s been such an appropriate motto for this team,” Chaney said. “Grit is that toughness that’s inside of you, and also mental strength.”

The Lady Eagles’ grittiness earned the team its third trip to the state tournament after defeating third-ranked Burkburnett in the best-of-three 4A Region I final series at Iowa Park High School.   

“We knew we were going to be able to do OK last year, but we really thought this year was going to the year we could maybe do something,” Chaney said. 

After dropping Game 1 of the series 4-0 May 25, the Lady Eagles resumed play Saturday, and showed they had learned from their mistakes. 

Decatur outscored Burkburnett 13-0 in the final two games (7-0, 6-0) to earn the regional title. 

The Lady Eagles turned on the scoreboard after a two-inning stalemate in Game 3 with a pair of runs in the third, and added three more in the fourth.

Sophomore catcher Madi Moreland capped off the win by hitting a lead-off solo bomb to center field in the seventh inning. She led the Lady Eagles lineup, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. 

Decatur claimed a 7-0 win in Game 2 Saturday to force a series tiebreaker. The Lady Eagles suffered a 4-0 loss in the series opener Thursday.

In the three-game series, Decatur pitcher Macey Jones provided stability, allowing four runs on 13 hits in 21 innings. She finished with 24 strikeouts and no walks. 

TWO GAMES AWAY — Decatur (32-9-1) will face two-time defending champion Liberty in the 4A semifinals 4 p.m. Thursday at the University of Texas at Austin’s Red and Charline McCombs Field. MACK THWEATT/WCMESSENGER

“After Game 3, I gave Macey a hug and told her, ‘You’re probably the toughest kid I’ve ever coached,’” Chaney said. “I knew there was no way she was coming off the field without a win unless I actually dragged her off. With everything she’s dealt with over the past few years with her health, it’s amazing how she’s powered through. To pitch against the quality hitters that we’ve faced, especially over the past two weeks, I’ve just been in awe. She’s one of the big reasons we are where we’re at.”  

The fifth-round series marked the second time in as many weeks that the Lady Eagles have stood on the brink of elimination and resorted to its gritty play to stay alive in the postseason. 

Battling against 35 mph winds May 19, the Lady Eagles were shut out by Dumas 10-0 in six innings in the 4A Region I semifinal series opener at Lubbock Cooper High School — the team’s first postseason loss. 

With their backs against the wall, Decatur rallied to defeat the Demonettes in Game 2 (3-0) and Game 3 (6-5). 

“Our girls have done a really good job of not getting overwhelmed and allowing their emotions to take over,” Chaney said. “They’ve been bought-in, and they’ve believed and have had faith in the process and the game plan. When you have that, you have a dangerous team.” 

The state tournament is not an unfamiliar landing spot for the Lady Eagles, having advanced in 2003 and 2019. However, Decatur has yet to break its way into the state championship game.

In 2002, the program’s first state appearance ended with a 1-0 loss to eventual champion Splendora in the 3A semifinals under former coach Lauri Candioto.

Tommy Davis was the Lady Eagles’ shortstop when the team made its first state trip. Her daughter Madi is Decatur’s starting left fielder this season. 

“Watching the last out of the regional final game, memories came flooding back,” Davis said. “Twenty-one years after my Lady Eagles team went to the state semifinals, it’s like a dream getting to watch my daughter do the same thing… And now, I get to feel the same nerves, [but] this time as a softball mom cheering them on loudly from the stands… I hope more than anything that she gets the bragging rights of going further than her mom.”

The Lady Eagles returned to the state tournament 17 years later with former coach Carly Cloud at the helm. Decatur fell short in the 4A semifinals to Anna, 6-4.

Samantha Cantu, a sophomore third baseman/catcher for the Lady Eagles in 2019, followed in the footsteps of her aunt, Clarissa Cantu, who was the catcher for the Lady Eagles in 2002. 

“Playing in the state tournament was such an honor,” Samantha said. “The 2019 season was a ride, from being undefeated in district and throughout the playoffs… The semifinal game against Anna was not the outcome we wanted. We had a lot of errors in that game that sadly ended our run, but it was such a fun experience to share with my teammates and family.”

Decatur will face its toughest test of the season in a 4A state semifinal matchup against two-time state champion Liberty 4 p.m. Thursday at the University of Texas at Austin’s Red and Charline McCombs Field. 

“Liberty is really good — obviously, they’re going to be the toughest opponent we’ve faced all year,” Chaney said. “They have a lot of kids back from last year’s state championship team. But when you get to the state tournament, anything can happen. We know we’re the underdog, and that fine. With the way these girls have played throughout the playoffs, I wouldn’t put anything past them.”

Liberty claimed the Region III title by defeating Bullard 2-1 in a Game 3 tiebreaker Saturday. 

A win against Liberty would put the Lady Eagles in the 4A state championship game against the winner of the Aubrey/Corpus Christi Calallen semifinal 10 a.m. Saturday.

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