It is a day Abby Dowell needs to do all about all over again.
If she could, Dowell would journey back again in time to June 3, 2021. She would much better offer with the thunderstorms that not only delayed Iowa Park’s Class 4A point out semifinal matchup towards Corpus Christi Calallen but moved its area from McCombs Industry in Austin to Blue Diamond Area in Georgetown.
Dowell would throw her far more precise pitches, and if she gave up that 1st-inning home run yet again, she wouldn’t permit it rattle her.
And when she and the Girl Hawks took the lead in the base of the very first, Dowell would make certain they hardly ever relinquished it. They would earn the match and advance to the state title recreation against Liberty, ultimately professing the program’s first ever condition championship.
But time travel does not exist exterior of major-budget Hollywood films. Calallen won 10-9, ending the Woman Hawks season two wins shy of a point out title.
Dowell just can’t relive that working day. But she can learn from it.
The Lady Hawks are 1 step absent from returning to the Course 4A Point out Tournament, needing to ideal Argyle in a Area I-4A last collection in Bowie, beginning with Match 1 at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Match 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, with a third recreation, if wanted, established for 7 p.m. Saturday.
Naturally, as the Girl Hawks’ primary pitcher, Dowell has loads to do with this crew at the time all over again standing at the doorstep of a point out tournament berth.
“With just about every group in softball and baseball, you kind of go as your pitchers go,” Iowa Park mentor Eric Simmons claimed. “If your pitcher is on, hitting places and acquiring weak get in touch with, it tends to make it a lot easier to play defense.
“Abby functions difficult on her craft. She throws just about each and every working day. We know we go as she goes, but we’re there to back again her up with robust protection if she demands it.”
Dowell admits the gravity of the circumstance at last year’s state event got to her, and it prevented her from carrying out at her most effective. The loss to Calallen was only the Lady Hawks’ second decline of the season.
Dowell had allowed a few home runs in 40 game titles heading into the state semifinals. She allowed three to Calallen on your own. She also walked 6 batters, which is however the most she’s permitted in her a few seasons pitching for Iowa Park.
“I try to remember how massive the second was, and how packed the stands have been, and how the vitality was unlike something else,” Dowell said. “I obtained annoyed, but I consider not to think about it. I’ve discovered a great deal from it. I have acquired how to quiet my aggravation, not to be concerned about almost everything, and just permit it go.”
It’s these mental actions Dowell has taken permitting her to overcome adversity more effectively during her junior calendar year. The outcome has been her greatest time in the circle as a Lady Hawk, holding a .69 Era with 176 strikeouts in comparison to 29 walks in 122 1/3 innings. Opponents are batting a mere .112 from her.
“She’s revealed a lot more maturity and is equipped to take care of adversity superior,” Simmons stated. “She does not get as down on herself or permit her overall body language present that she’s discouraged.
“That game at point out served all of our women. All that adversity manufactured them develop up a minor bit, and it is designed this year’s playoff run imply much more to them.”
It was not Dowell’s things in the circle that halted Iowa Park’s operate in the point out semifinals. She throws a total enhance of pitches, like a curveball she deems her strongest providing.
But the junior understands her mental acumen ought to be as potent as her pitching if the Girl Hawks are going to earn it all.
“There are times I’m not going to have my best stuff,” Dowell admitted. “But I just cannot let that get to me, and I know I have a good team behind me that can make all the plays to again me up. That is how it was in the very first match (versus Monahans on Friday). I didn’t experience like I had my best things, but they created great plays guiding me.
“I arrived into (Saturday) emotion definitely fantastic. I realized I could go out there and strike my places and get it carried out. But I know if I will need my defense then they are likely to select me up.”
Of study course, Dowell is not just a fantastic pitcher. She’s also the Girl Hawks’ primary hitter.
She’s tops on the team in batting normal (.522), on-foundation share (.570), slugging percenter (.878), hits (60) and doubles. She’s second, guiding only Bella Dickens (52), with 46 RBIs.
And top this crew in all these batting categories isn’t a little feat. The Girl Hawks have a solid lineup able of manufacturing operates at each and every location in the get.
For instance, No. 9 hitter Alayna York retains a .441 batting normal and went 3 for 3 with two operates scored in Match 2 in opposition to Monahans on Saturday.
“I adore that we can hit the way we do. We have so significantly confidence in anyone who is batting,” explained Dowell, who is verbally fully commited to participate in school s
oftball at Boise Point out. “It’s so awesome to have as a pitcher. I know we’re heading to score operates, so if I give up one particular, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to drop.”
Probably Dowell just cannot vacation back in time. But she can generate a 2nd possibility. All she has to do is direct her team previous a solid Argyle squad this 7 days, and the Girl Hawks will be earning reservations for a return journey to Austin.
“There’s some stress to earn it all, but we try not to assume about it and just acquire it 1 video game at a time,” Dowell explained. “Everybody expects us to win every video game, and we’ve got to just take care of us 1st. If we do that and do not appear far too considerably ahead, then we’ll get to exactly where we want to be.”
This write-up at first appeared on Wichita Falls Moments Record News: Iowa Park Lady Hawks softball pitcher Abby Dowell prospects staff