Burnet softball crushes Canyon Lake in five innings

CAPTION: The Burnet Lady Dawgs are all smiles after making quick work of Canyon Lake. Courtesy photo

The Burnet High School softball team crushed Fischer Canyon Lake 11-0 Feb. 28 in a contest that ended after five innings.

The victory brings the Lady Dawgs’ season record to 7-7.

But against Canyon Lake, Burnet showed its supremacy at the plate and on the field.

Maddie Moise hit a three-run homer in the first inning and added a RBI triple in the second inning, while Elyse De Arcos hit a three-run homer in the second inning to give Burnet a commanding 8-0 advantage. Burnet scored three more runs in the fourth thanks to Moise and Kyleigh Mott.

Meanwhile sophomore pitcher Presely Crawford performed like the staff’s ace, fanning 14 strikeouts in five complete innings. Coaches named her the player of the game.

“When we’re on, we’re really tough to beat,” said head coach Hailey Wooten, who is in her third year. “We have 13 kids on varsity, and I would feel confident putting any of them in the line-up. They’re good players.”

She noted Crawford is performing like a returning letterman.

“She’s grown so much in confidence,” the coach said. “When she steps in the circle, it’s a positive.”

The juniors also are performing at a high level led by catcher Camrynn Guthrie, the Florida Atlantic University commit. Catchers are responsible for setting the defense and Guthrie has taken on another task, Wooten said.

“Camrynn is solid,” she said. “We’re giving her the opportunity to call pitches. It says a lot about her. I think our pitchers trust her, and that is a big factor. Camrynn is more of a quiet leader. When she’s on the field, you know she’s there.”

Though Burnet has seven losses, five are by a single run.

It all adds up to an incredibly motivated team determined to turn its fortunes around after missing the 2022 playoffs.

“We have a big junior class, and they’re a year older,” Wooten said. “They saw a season slip away last year. They know what it takes and they’re ready to put it out there. We’re trying to find our nine best hitters. We’ve been mixing it up a lot.”

Wooten noted the junior varsity, which is 3-0, also has “a ton of talent” that is visible for all to see after wins against Leander Rouse, Georgetown East View and Canyon Lake.

“They are a great team and a very tough team to beat,” she said.

The Lady Dawgs are hosting their tournament Thursday-Saturday, March 2-4, at Bulldog Diamonds. They welcome Wimberley at 9 a.m. and Glen Rose at 5:45 p.m. both on Thursday, Hutto at 12:30 p.m. and Academy at 5:45 p.m. both on Friday, and Killeen Chaparral at 9 a.m. Saturday.

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