After an emotional Regional Quarterfinal Championship sweep over the Canyon Lady Eagles, the 2023 version of the Pampa Lady Harvesters had a chance to be the first Pampa team to win the Regional Semi Final Championship since 2014 when the Pampa Lady Harvesters team, but fell short. The only thing standing in their way was a top 10 team from Burkburnett, Texas. The series was set for best of three, and the games were held at Lubbock Christian University.
Game one had a lightning delay, so it got started at 8:00 PM, rather than the 7:00 scheduled start. The pre-game lightning would be a pre-curser of things to come during the game.
Burkburnett started out hot, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning and three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-0 lead. Pampa would get on track in the top of the third by scoring two runs. Reagan Dyer led off with a single to center field. With one out, Carsyn Hunt singled to right field, advancing Dyer to third base. McKinley Daniels followed with a single to left scoring Dyer from third base. Hunt would be forced at third on a ground ball by Brianna Cloud. Kynleigh Kirby then drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Daniels would then score on a wild pitch.
The score would remain 5-2, until the top of the 7th inning, when lightning struck for Pampa. McKinley Daniels led off with a line drive to left field that bounced off the glove of the left fielder and rolled all the way to the fence. Daniels would hustle around the bases and score on the play, making the score 5-3. Cloud then reached on an error by the pitcher, and Kirby walked putting runners at first and second base. Karina Gonzalez would then courtesy run for Kirby. With two outs, Cambree Dyer stepped to the plate. Dyer worked the count to 2-2, and then delivered a double to right center field scoring Cloud and Gonzalez to tie the game at five. Dyer was thrown out a bang-bang play at third base trying to stretch the double into a triple. Burk would get a runner at third base in the bottom of the 7th, but would be unable to score the winning run.
In the top of the 8th inning, Reagan Dyer led off with a single and stole second. With one out, Hunt would reach on an infield single and advancing Dyer to third. Hunt would advance to second on defensive indifference. Cloud would then deliver a single to center field that scored Dyer and Hunt. The defense would hold in the bottom of the 8th and Pampa would take game one 7-5. Hunt, Cloud and Reagan Dyer each had two hits for Pampa. McKinley Daniels, Kirby, and Cambree Dyer added one hit each.
Kirby went the distance throwing eight innings, giving up five runs, on five hits, striking out 10 and walking seven.
Game two was held Friday at 6:00 PM and it would end up being a game for the ages. With the score tied at zero, Burk would score the first run of the game in the top of the 4th. The score would remain 1-0, going into the bottom of the seventh, when the Cardiac Kids would strike again. Hallie Hawthorne would lead off the inning with a walk. Karina Gonzalez was brought in to pinch run. Gonzalez would then steal second base. Reagan Dyer would then double to left center field, scoring Gonzalez from second base to tie the game.
Pampa had a chance to win the game several times in extra innings, but just couldn’t get the winning run across the plate. Burkburnett would finally strike for four runs in the top of the 12th inning and would hold on for a 5-1 Game 2 victory over Pampa to even the series at one game apiece. Carsyn Hunt, McKinley Daniels, Brianna Cloud, Kynleigh Kirby, Cambree Dyer, Reagan Dyer, and Briley Daniels all had one hit.
Kirby went the distance again pitching all twelve innings, pitching a total of 251 pitches. Kirby gave up five runs (two earned) on thirteen hits, striking out nine and walking eleven.
Game two lasted four hours, and each team missed out on chances to win the game.
On Saturday, game three got off to a good start for Pampa. In the bottom of the third, Briley Daniels led off with triple to left field. Carsyn Hunt would then lay down a sacrifice bunt scoring Daniels from third base to give Pampa a 1-0 lead.
However, Burk would take control in the top of the fifth, by scoring two runs. Burk would add a run in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh to take a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
Hallie Hawthorne would lead off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to center field. However, Pampa would be able to find any more miracles and the game would end with Burk on top by a score of 5-2.
Kirby and Briley Daniels each had two hits for Pampa. Cloud, Cambree Dyer, and Hallie Hawthorne would add one hit a piece.
Burk will advance to the Regional Finals to take on Decatur, who beat the Dumas Demonettes in three games.
Pampa ends the season with a 25-10 record, and it will go down as one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program. The game marked the final game of Seniors Hallie Hawthorne, Reagan Dyer and Myrna Ramirez who left this program in a better place.
