BEAUMONT — It was one last game for many high school graduates Thursday night at Lamar Softball Complex during the CHRISTUS Classic softball game.
The team from the west took the win home 8-1 over the East team and was led by West MVP Kiriany Hornberger. Hornberger slammed a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to make the final score.
The East MVP award went to Hamshire-Fannett’s Calli Saurage who hit a double in the fifth.
Nederland’s Maydson Guidry got the start on the mound for the East and pitched well considering she was suffering from back pain. She pitched five innings and allowed four hits and four walks. Guidry struck out three.
Orangefield’s Haley Fontenot, Bridge City’s Baili Thibodeaux and Hamshire-Fannett’s Shelby Broussard had the remaining hits for the East squad.
Jasper’s Courtney Stephenson scored the lone run for the East team after the West had a passed ball and then a throwing error in the sixth inning. The score was 6-1 at that point.
The game was about more than the score as players like Bridge City’s Hannah Carpenter had another chance to step on the field in a Cardinals uniform.
“It was really cool,” Carpenter said. “I made a bunch of friends that I had never met before. We went against some great competition and it was all-around fun.”
East coach Will Mallette, head coach at Nederland, said it was a great week being around a new set of players.
“The week was fun getting to know all the kids,” Mallette said. “You get used to coaching the same group of kids and then you get a new group of great players from different schools coming together. It is just fun getting to know them and gauge your players off of theirs. It is fun in a whole bunch of ways.”
Carpenter, who signed with Kilgore College, was obviously excited to spend a couple of hours on the field with former Bridge City teammates Thibodeaux and Faith Kaufman.
“It was great,” Carpenter said. “We thought our playoff loss was our last game but we got to play one more time together.”
There will be three all-star games today starting at 5 p.m. with volleyball. Girls basketball follows volleyball and the night cap is boys basketball.