It’s a working day Abby Dowell would like to do all more than once more.
If she could, Dowell would journey back again in time to June 3, 2021. She would improved deal with the thunderstorms that not only delayed Iowa Park’s Course 4A condition semifinal matchup versus Corpus Christi Calallen but moved its spot from McCombs Subject in Austin to Blue Diamond Discipline in Georgetown.
Dowell would toss her extra precise pitches, and if she gave up that to start with-inning dwelling operate yet again, she would not let it rattle her.
And when she and the Lady Hawks took the lead in the base of the initial, Dowell would make certain they in no way relinquished it. They would win the game and progress to the state title recreation against Liberty, at some point proclaiming the program’s 1st at any time condition championship.
But time journey doesn’t exist outdoors of big-budget Hollywood movies. Calallen received 10-9, ending the Woman Hawks time two wins shy of a state title.
Dowell can not relive that working day. But she can study from it.
The Girl Hawks are just one stage away from returning to the Class 4A Point out Tournament, needing to very best Argyle in a Area I-4A remaining collection in Bowie, starting off with Sport 1 at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Sport 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, with a 3rd sport, if desired, set for 7 p.m. Saturday.
Certainly, as the Lady Hawks’ major pitcher, Dowell has plenty to do with this team the moment yet again standing at the doorstep of a state event berth.
“With just about every workforce in softball and baseball, you type of go as your pitchers go,” Iowa Park mentor Eric Simmons mentioned. “If your pitcher is on, hitting spots and obtaining weak make contact with, it will make it easier to enjoy protection.
“Abby will work really hard on her craft. She throws pretty much each working day. We know we go as she goes, but we’re there to back again her up with sturdy defense if she demands it.”
Dowell admits the gravity of the condition at final year’s condition tournament bought to her, and it prevented her from accomplishing at her very best. The decline to Calallen was only the Woman Hawks’ second decline of the period.
Dowell had allowed three property operates in 40 games heading into the condition semifinals. She authorized 3 to Calallen by itself. She also walked 6 batters, which is even now the most she’s authorized in her three seasons pitching for Iowa Park.
“I don’t forget how massive the minute was, and how packed the stands had been, and how the electricity was contrary to just about anything else,” Dowell mentioned. “I bought pissed off, but I test not to feel about it. I’ve learned a large amount from it. I’ve figured out how to serene my annoyance, not to be concerned about anything, and just permit it go.”
It’s these mental steps Dowell has taken enabling her to overcome adversity far more efficiently throughout her junior 12 months. The consequence has been her greatest year in the circle as a Woman Hawk, keeping a .69 Period with 176 strikeouts as opposed to 29 walks in 122 1/3 innings. Opponents are batting a mere .112 in opposition to her.
“She’s proven additional maturity and is equipped to manage adversity greater,” Simmons claimed. “She doesn’t get as down on herself or permit her physique language present that she’s annoyed.
“That game at condition aided all of our women. All that adversity made them expand up a minor bit, and it is built this year’s playoff run suggest a lot more to them.”
It wasn’t Dowell’s things in the circle that halted Iowa Park’s run in the point out semifinals. She throws a whole complement of pitches, together with a curveball she deems her strongest offering.
But the junior knows her mental acumen should be as sturdy as her pitching if the Woman Hawks are heading to earn it all.
“There are days I’m not likely to have my very best stuff,” Dowell admitted. “But I can’t enable that get to me, and I know I have a fantastic workforce behind me that can make all the performs to again me up. That’s how it was in the very first video game (from Monahans on Friday). I didn’t feel like I had my ideal things, but they manufactured good plays at the rear of me.
“I arrived into (Saturday) feeling seriously great. I understood I could go out there and strike my spots and get it accomplished. But I know if I have to have my protection then they are heading to select me up.”
Of program, Dowell isn’t just a excellent pitcher. She’s also the Lady Hawks’ top hitter.
She’s tops on the workforce in batting typical (.522), on-base percentage (.570), slugging percenter (.878), hits (60) and doubles. She’s next, guiding only Bella Dickens (52), with 46 RBIs.
And main this staff in all these batting groups is not a compact feat. The Lady Hawks have a robust lineup able of generating runs at each and every place in the purchase.
For illustration, No. 9 hitter Alayna York retains a .441 batting normal and went 3 for 3 with two operates scored in Sport 2 against Monahans on Saturday.
“I like that we can hit the way we do. We have so substantially assurance in everyone who is batting,” mentioned Dowell, who is verbally dedicated to participate in higher education softball at Boise State. “It’s so great to have as a pitcher. I know we’re likely to score operates, so if I giv
e up one, it does not suggest we’re going to lose.”
Maybe Dowell can not journey again in time. But she can earn a 2nd probability. All she has to do is lead her team past a robust Argyle squad this 7 days, and the Lady Hawks will be generating reservations for a return trip to Austin.
“There’s some tension to win it all, but we check out not to consider about it and just take it just one video game at a time,” Dowell said. “Everybody expects us to win every single activity, and we’ve obtained to just take treatment of us very first. If we do that and don’t look as well significantly forward, then we’ll get to where we want to be.”