What happened: Midland Christian softball finished the season as TAPPS Division II state runners-up on Tuesday, May 19, after falling to Victoria’s St. Joseph in the state championship game.

Midland Christian entered the matchup ranked No. 1 in TAPPS Division II and No. 1 overall in the TAPPS softball rankings with a 29-4 record, 10-0 in district, while St. Joseph entered at 24-4, 8-0 in district, and ranked No. 2 in Division II.

The big picture: St. Joseph took control early with two runs in the first inning before Midland Christian answered in the second to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Flyers gradually extended the lead before closing out a 10-1 victory.

Despite the result, Midland Christian continued competing defensively throughout the game, including diving catches by Kyler Graham in center field and an unassisted double play in the fifth inning.  The state championship appearance capped one of the strongest seasons in Midland Christian softball history.

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Midland Christian reached the championship game after defeating Fort Worth Christian 8-5 in the state semifinals on Monday. Maddy Munoz threw a complete game in the semifinal, striking out 14 batters while also recording her 400th career strikeout milestone.

The Lady Mustangs finished with 11 hits in the semifinal win. Annie Munoz went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk, Mylee Wilson added two hits and an RBI, and Kyler Graham finished with two doubles and an RBI. Adaia Hardy added two hits and an RBI, while Jordan Stokes also drove in a run.

Following the championship game, Maddy Munoz, Mylee Wilson, Jordan Stokes, and Kyler Graham were named to the TAPPS all-tournament team.

Go deeper: The Lady Mustangs outscored opponents 290-76 during the season while producing multiple run-rule victories, including 21-2 over Compass Academy, 21-2 over Trinity Christian, 18-0 over Southwest Christian School, and 15-0 over Trinity Christian.

The Mustangs also swept the district series against Fort Worth Christian, Grapevine Faith Christian, All Saints, and Southwest Christian School, winning 19 of 21 games during one stretch.