Denton Guyer uses 10-run 4th inning to beat Southlake Carroll, stay undefeated

SOUTHLAKE, Texas — After a slow start and several scoreless innings in their non-district matchup on the road against Southlake Carroll, the Denton Guyer Wildcats only needed one inning to turn the game completely on its head.

Thanks to an epic two-out rally that allowed the Wildcats to bat around the lineup, Guyer broke the game wide open with a monster 10-run fourth inning offensively.

The team's fourth-inning offensive barrage represented a massive momentum shift and also sealed Denton Guyer's decisive 12-2 mercy-rule, road win over the Dragons in five innings Tuesday night.

The victory also extends the Wildcats' now seven-game winning streak through the first week of the 2023 season,

“We got a lot going on with our team as far as our offense goes,” Guyer head coach Keith Medford said.

“Whenever we hit well, whenever the hits are strung together like that, we take advantage of it. We’re super fast. We do not (have) a whole lot of power, but you take the hitting when it comes.”

Finley Montgomery was credited as the winning pitcher, throwing three and two-thirds innings while only allowing three hits in the shortened contest. She gave up Carroll’s only two runs in the fourth inning, but struck out the final batter she faced for her only strike out of the night.

Jenny Robledo came in as a reliever with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and finished out that frame and also pitched the fifth and final inning, not allowing a hit while walking one and striking out one.

“It’s early in the season, so we don’t want to wear these kids out too much," Medford said. "I think Finley (Montgomery) was sitting on 90 pitches, and she’s a freshman so we don’t want to wear her out.”

The game started off as a pitcher’s duel for the first two innings with both teams only mustering one hit each. 

Avery Jefferson — an Abilene Christian commit — broke the scoreless tie during the top of the third with a double to left field, scoring Kaylynn Jones and Erin Peterson, a Texas State commit.

Jefferson finished the game 2-for-4 day at the plate with a double, a triple and three RBI to pace Guyer's explosive offense and provide the spark the Wildcats' bats needed to catch fire.

The floodgates opened during the top of the fourth inning.

The Wildcats surged ahead courtesy of a two-out rally that brought 10 runs in to score during a fourth-inning offensive barrage, completely batting around in the process.

Tehya Pitts grounded out with one out, but Briana Williams was able to race home for a run. Just three pitches later, Peterson tripled off the left-center field wall to score Jones from third.

After the play, Carroll pulled starting pitcher Cameron Timmons for sophomore Aubree Shelton. Shelton walked the first batter she faced, setting up Jefferson to triple to left-center, scoring Peterson, and Emma Richard to make the score 6-0.

Abby Holder stepped up to the plate next and layed down a bunt. The Dragon third baseman charged the ball but the throw was wide allowing Jefferson to score and Holder to advance to second.

Guyer catcher Jordan Osbourne then drove in Holder with a one-hopper off of the left field fence. The Wildcats then worked the bases loaded, allowing Jones to walk to bring home another run, making it 9-0.

Pitts then came to the plate and singled in Williams and Gracie Willis. Willis was the one to lead off the inning for Guyer.

Peterson, who already had an RBI in the inning, drove in the final run with a single to left field. Carroll then turned back to their starter. Timmons was able to get the final out of the inning with the score of 12-0.

“We’ve got a lot going on with our lineup,” Medford said. “We have lefties that can run, we have lefties that can hit, we have righties that can come off the bench and tonight it all worked out pretty good. I’m really proud of them.”

The Dragons scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, and loaded the bases with two outs, but were unable to prolong their rally or claw their way back into the game any further.

Neither team scored during the fifth inning, and Carroll went down in order to close out the game for a run-rule win.

“I’d put them up against anybody,” Medford said. “I’m super proud of this group and we will play anybody. May not come out on top but these kids are fighters, Southlake is a good team, they’re going to be just fine.”

Denton Guyer (7-0) will look to keep rolling when the Wildcats return to action this weekend to play in the Allen softball tournament with games against the Flower Mound Jaguars (4-1) and Fort Bend Ridge Point Panthers (3-1) at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, at Allen High School.

Southlake Carroll (6-2) will have a chance to bounce back when the Dragons return to the diamond this weekend to host the Southlake Carroll softball tournament with games against the Franklin Lions (6-1) and The Colony Cougars (2-5) at 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Dragon Softball Complex in Southlake.

Check out SBLive's exclusive photo gallery from the game:

PHOTO GALLERY — DENTON GUYER 12, SOUTHLAKE CARROLL 2

All photos by Brian McLean