Hendrickson's Luongo dashes Bastrop's hopes in bi-district

Bastrop hitters managed only six hits combined in the final two games of the bi-district series

By Jim Irish

Photos by Chris White

Bastrop looked like an easy bi-district champion after unloading on Hendrickson in the series opener 14-2.

Then along came Kara Luongo.

The Hendrickson pitcher limited Bastrop to three hits in each of the final two games as the Hawks won 16-2 and 8-0, respectively to capture the bi-district title on Saturday.

Bastrop lost for the first time at home on Saturday after nine consecutive wins.

After throwing a complete game at home on Friday, Luongo was overpowering for most of the third game. She didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning.

"You have to give her a lot of credit. She does a good job, just competes."

-- Hendrickson coach Brett Gola about pitcher Kara Luongo

She walked two batters in the sixth but forced three Bastrop batters to hit flyouts. Center fielder Bella Gonzales made a running catch behind her on a shot by Lanie Coy. Gonzales, a sophomore, also ran down a shot to her right by Bryleigh Fawcett in the fifth.

”She has been our best defensive player all year,” Gola said about Gonzales.

Luongo tired in the final two innings but persevered.

”You have to give her a lot of credit,” Hendrickson coach Brett Gola said about Luongo. “She does a good job, just competes.”

Gola told Luongo after the loss in the opener that he “might need 250 pitches out of you this weekend to go our way.”

”You got it,” she replied.

In her tool box, Luongo has a riser, curveball, screwball, and a changeup.

She struck out six on Friday and five on Saturday.

”She did a good job of mixing it up,” Gola said.

Payton Shroyer led Hendrickson hitters on Saturday, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and one run scored.

Hendrickson banged Bastrop pitchers for 13 hits on Friday and 11 on Saturday.

”We talked after the (first) game, and we had lapses everywhere,” Gola said. “I told them we just need to give our best. We talked about playing with passion and emotion, that effort we played with all year long.

"We got a couple of hits. It’s almost like you see one go through the hoops, and then you start gaining some confidence. They showed can’t quit, won’t quit attitude we preach.”

"We did not adjust. We knew what we needed to do."

-- Bastrop coach Teresa Morgan on lack of hitting

Bastrop hit 11 pop flies for outs on Saturday.

”We did not adjust,” Bastrop coach Teresa Morgan said about hitting. “We knew what we needed to do.”

Mollie Goertz started for Bastrop and gave up seven runs in two innings.

In relief, Ella Griesenbeck, who took the loss on Friday, yielded only one run in five innings on Saturday.

Jim Irish is a freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas