Kingwood Park won the game they needed the most last week. The Panthers then picked some valuable game innings that they missed out on earlier this year.
Overall, it was 2-3 week as Kingwood Park defeated Splendora 13-6 in District 18-5A on Tuesday. The Panthers then beat Humble 14-3 to begin the delayed Humble ISD Tournament on Thursday before dropping three straight games by two-or-less runs to Houston Chavez (6-3), Alvin (2-1) and Summer Creek (6-5).
Kingwood Park (11-7, 4-2) didn’t have a district game Friday night due to a bye.
Some highlights from the Humble ISD Tournament included a 4-for-4 game by Abbey Papadimitriou against the Wildcats. She homered, doubled and drove in three runs. Addi Gomez was 3-for-4 (double, triple) with three RBIs. Keilee Brown also drove in three runs while going 2-for-3 (double, triple). Allie Minick struck out eight over three innings of relief without a run or hit allowed.
Later that day against Chavez, Papadimitriou and Brown each had an RBI. Ava Klinefelter, Gomez and Papadimitriou had two hits apiece.
On Saturday, the Panthers scored their lone run in the sixth as Brown came across. She was 2-for-3 with a double. Haylee Seales (3 innings) and Katie Summers (2⅓ innings) combined on an eight-hitter. Summers allowed two earned on five hits.
Samantha Barnes had the lone RBI and five different panthers scored runs against Summer Creek.
The second round of district play begins Tuesday night at Pasadena (1-9, 0-7) and continues Friday at home against Crosby (13-5, 7-0).
Pasadena has allowed double-digit runs in every district game, including a 16-1 loss to Porter last Tuesday and a 10-0 defeat at Splendora on Saturday.
Kingwood Park defeated Pasadena 15-0 on March 7. Minick didn’t allow a hit in three innings with six strikeouts. The sophomore also homered, tripled and had a team-high four RBIs. Papadimitriou homered and totaled three RBIs, as did Lexie Barbontin who hit a bases clearing triple.
Opposite of Pasadena, Crosby has been on a roll with seven straight district wins with 13 combined runs allowed. The Cougars beat Dayton 3-0 on Tuesday and Porter 8-3 on Friday last week.
Kingwood Park gave the Cougars its best shot on March 11 as it fell behind 5-0 before tying it in the sixth. Crosby got the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning and held on 6-5. Brown provided a big spark for the Panthers with her first career homer, a two-run shot. Minnick and Gomez also had RBIs. Minick allowed just one earned run as the defense made three errors.
Kingwood Park has dropped two straight to Crosby with its last win coming in 2023.
Kingwood Park junior Ava Klinefelter (3) runs the bases against Splendora last week. (Chris Zorzi/SportCast Media)
