Advosports

Jennie Johnson was due.

The junior left fielder for Victoria East had hit the ball hard twice into the outfield and both were run down near the wall.

This time, with runners on first and second and one out, she tried something different: she nailed it on the ground.

"I was just thinking be aggressive," she said. "I was going to get a base hit, no ifs, ands or buts about it."

She nailed the ball hard on the ground up the middle, and it reached deep into the outfield. Johnson charged around the basepaths, reaching third on the throw home.

The hit was sweet not just for Johnson, but for the Titans (24-5-1, 8-2), as they busted open a 2-2 tied with three in the sixth, then put the game away with seven in the seventh inning to beat Victoria West, 12-7, on Tuesday night.

The Warriors (19-12, 5-5) got a good night at the plate from Eboni Murphy, who was 4 for 4 with a triple and four RBIs. But it was a couple of breaks in the field that hurt the Warriors, said coach Rome McNary.

"We made a couple of mistakes late in the game that drug the game on," said McNary. "They did a good job of capitalizing off those mistakes. We played pretty well for most of the game."

The Warriors committed four critical errors, two of which led to the Titans big innings in the sixth and seven innings. McNary said it caused the Warriors pitcher, Karly Rae Hoerig, to throw more pitches and to tire out late in the game.

"You had so many errors, and it just prolonged the game until later on," he said.

Titans coach Jody Morgan said the Titans two styles of offense, but haven't been able to get both firing at the same time.

It took five innings, but Morgan said both started clicking late in the game.

"We know what we produce in practice," she said. "It just so happened that there's never been a game where both were on. Tonight, we had both on, but we waited until late to get there."

When Johnson stepped up to the plate in the sixth inning, Morgan had one bit of advise for her: relax.

"My girls analyze so much," she said. "They analyze their swings so much, and they want to know everything they do wrong and why they do it wrong instead of letting it flow naturally."

The junior outfielder has come a long way this season. She opened the season playing on the JV squad before joining the varsity squad mid-season.

Before this year, she had played softball at Industrial. But the 40 minute drive to Vanderbilt wore on her, she said, especially with her younger brother still attending school in Victoria.

"I transferred over there my freshman year, but it was hard because it's a long way," Johnson said. "It was easier on my mom. I miss everyone over there, but I love it here too."

The win, coupled with Gregory-Portland's five inning mercy-rule victory over Beeville means the Titans will share the District 30-4A title with the Ladycats. The two teams will play off on Thursday at 7 p.m. for the top seed, most likely in Sinton, Morgan said.

Johnson said she is excited, and thinks the Titans will are hitting their stride at the right time.

"I think once we hit the playoffs, we are going to peak and keep going from there," she said.

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