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AUSTIN — No one can accuse Sundown softball of being a flash in the pan.
Sure, the Roughettes' visit to McCombs Field last year was new. Before then, the program had never made it past the third round. If there was a time to question Sundown's staying power, it was then.
There's no denying anymore.
The Roughettes fell short of a second consecutive state championship Thursday when Shiner reversed the 2025 contest and struck late in a 5-2 victory. Still, Sundown isn't hanging its head.
"We belong," Roughettes coach Meagan Gonzales said. "I think that was the narrative all year long. I almost think a lot of people thought we were a fluke last year. That we surprised everybody, we came along and people didn't know what to do against us, so we ended up sneaking around them and beating them.
"This year, getting back here proves that we belonged last year, and it proves that we belong back here."
A final deluge lifted Sundown to a 9-3 victory in its debut. Shiner returned the favor with three runs in the fifth Thursday to break a 2-2 deadlock. That capped a momentum swing after the Roughettes went up 2-0.
From that point, Sundown managed one hit and two total baserunners over the final four innings.
"But we still stayed confident the entire way," pitcher Destiny Garza said. "We still tried to stay hype, and we still tried to stay humble the entire way. We tried staying happy. We never got sad at any moment."
The tears came when the Roughettes received their silver medals. The sting of the loss was fresh.
It didn't take long for that emotion to turn to gratitude and pride.
"Even though we lost, we're still happy because we got this far," Garza said, "And I'm proud of my team for that."
Playing on the Texas Longhorns' field used to be a far-off dream. It's become the norm for the Roughettes' youngest fans.
"We've raised (the bar)," Garza said, "to the point where we're giving these girls the confidence to think that, 'Hey, if they could do it, we could do it, too.'"
Gonzales has seen that trickle down.
"Something that's new, when you drive around Sundown, Texas, you see little girls outside throwing with their dads," Gonzales said, tearing up. "That's something that I think this group did, was just change the culture of Sundown."
The team's eight seniors played their parts. Six of them dotted the championship lineup for a second year in a row. Their contributions — which included five of seven hits Thursday — are undeniable. But Garza is part of the near future that will look to carry the standard.
Garza (16-4) has been the Roughettes' ace during their breakthrough. Though only two others from the lineup return, she's reason enough to believe Sundown won't fade away.
"We're gonna try to keep up our motivation," Garza said, "and the memories of coming back here, allowing us to push through it, no matter what the outcome is."
Jaelyn Dominguez, Avy McGlasson and Miranda Posadas will also be back after playing on the biggest stage. They'll be at the forefront of keeping the Roughettes' train on the tracks.
"I think the sophomores and juniors that we had playing today showed up big for us," Gonzales said. "This is a scary place to be in the first time, to be an underclassman. Our eight seniors are leaving, but our core is taking over now. The eight (returners) that were here today, fought with us all year. I think we're in good hands."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Sundown softball raises bar after consecutive state championship games
Continue reading...
Sure, the Roughettes' visit to McCombs Field last year was new. Before then, the program had never made it past the third round. If there was a time to question Sundown's staying power, it was then.
There's no denying anymore.
The Roughettes fell short of a second consecutive state championship Thursday when Shiner reversed the 2025 contest and struck late in a 5-2 victory. Still, Sundown isn't hanging its head.
"We belong," Roughettes coach Meagan Gonzales said. "I think that was the narrative all year long. I almost think a lot of people thought we were a fluke last year. That we surprised everybody, we came along and people didn't know what to do against us, so we ended up sneaking around them and beating them.
"This year, getting back here proves that we belonged last year, and it proves that we belong back here."
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A final deluge lifted Sundown to a 9-3 victory in its debut. Shiner returned the favor with three runs in the fifth Thursday to break a 2-2 deadlock. That capped a momentum swing after the Roughettes went up 2-0.
From that point, Sundown managed one hit and two total baserunners over the final four innings.
"But we still stayed confident the entire way," pitcher Destiny Garza said. "We still tried to stay hype, and we still tried to stay humble the entire way. We tried staying happy. We never got sad at any moment."
The tears came when the Roughettes received their silver medals. The sting of the loss was fresh.
It didn't take long for that emotion to turn to gratitude and pride.
"Even though we lost, we're still happy because we got this far," Garza said, "And I'm proud of my team for that."
Playing on the Texas Longhorns' field used to be a far-off dream. It's become the norm for the Roughettes' youngest fans.
"We've raised (the bar)," Garza said, "to the point where we're giving these girls the confidence to think that, 'Hey, if they could do it, we could do it, too.'"
Gonzales has seen that trickle down.
"Something that's new, when you drive around Sundown, Texas, you see little girls outside throwing with their dads," Gonzales said, tearing up. "That's something that I think this group did, was just change the culture of Sundown."
The team's eight seniors played their parts. Six of them dotted the championship lineup for a second year in a row. Their contributions — which included five of seven hits Thursday — are undeniable. But Garza is part of the near future that will look to carry the standard.
Garza (16-4) has been the Roughettes' ace during their breakthrough. Though only two others from the lineup return, she's reason enough to believe Sundown won't fade away.
"We're gonna try to keep up our motivation," Garza said, "and the memories of coming back here, allowing us to push through it, no matter what the outcome is."
Jaelyn Dominguez, Avy McGlasson and Miranda Posadas will also be back after playing on the biggest stage. They'll be at the forefront of keeping the Roughettes' train on the tracks.
"I think the sophomores and juniors that we had playing today showed up big for us," Gonzales said. "This is a scary place to be in the first time, to be an underclassman. Our eight seniors are leaving, but our core is taking over now. The eight (returners) that were here today, fought with us all year. I think we're in good hands."
You must be registered for see images attach
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Sundown softball raises bar after consecutive state championship games
Continue reading...
