Boerne catcher Michelle Sorenson can’t hold on to the ball as Alamo Heights infielder Amanda Brightwell scores the second of two first inning runs that sealed the district title for the Lady Mules. Photo by Mike Reeder

Two first-inning runs were all Alamo Heights needed to win Monday night’s rubber match with Boerne and the District 27-4A softball championship that went with it.

The Lady Hounds had forced a one-game play-in to decide the district’s top playoff seed when they beat the Lady Mules 4-0 in Boerne on April 15. It was the first time Boerne had defeated its district rival in four tries dating back to last season when Heights won the district championship.

Boerne went on to win state as a number two playoff seed.

“Everybody talks about that,” Boerne Coach Jennifer Fox said. “We’re in the playoffs and that’s all that matters. Nobody even thought at the beginning of the season that we’d be district co-champions, so we put ourselves in good position. I have no doubt these girls will bounce back and respond.”

Monday night’s game at the NEISD softball complex took only about 90 minutes to play, as Boerne ace Courtney Dwyer and Heights hurler Natalie Weyand dominated opposing hitters.

But while Weyand was sharp from the start, Dwyer’s season-long, first-inning struggles came back to haunt her. She wasn’t helped by a defense that too often failed to cover bases or make routine plays.

“Courtney being a freshman just has to learn that you can’t wait until you give up two runs before you start to compete,” Fox said. “Of course, it’s not all her fault by any means. We had seniors and juniors running into each other on fly balls and other things we haven’t been doing. The good thing is we get to play this week again and try to redeem ourselves a little bit.”

Heights outfielder Courtney Carr led off the game with an infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch and stole third. Dwyer walked shortstop Amanda Brightwell on four pitches, putting runners at the corners.

The next hitter, catcher Amber Sotelo, popped up to second for what should have been the first out.

Instead, the ball rolled off second baseman Chelsea Muskopf’s glove and Carr came home with the Lady Mules’ first run.

It was all they would they need, but they tacked on another when first baseman Carey Nowacek ripped a two-out double that scored Brightwell from second. Dwyer finally got out of the inning when Callie Caesar popped out with runners at second and third, but the damage had already been done.

Weyand retired the first four hitters she faced before allowing Boerne catcher Michelle Sorenson to reach base with a one-out single in the second inning. That was as far as Sorenson got, as Weyand struck out outfielder Katelyn Faulkner and induced Katie Smith to ground out. Boerne would only manage two other base runners the rest of the way.

Dwyer gave up only six hits overall and no runs after the first inning, but she could not match Weyand, who shut down Boerne’s powerful lineup from start to finish.

Muskopf, a veteran of last year’s state championship team who will play at Incarnate Word this fall, said the Lady Hounds gave Weyand too much help.

“She was pitching outside and we were getting too anxious to make things happen instead of just letting them happen,” Muskopf said.

Shortstop Kim LeCompte, another holdover from last year’s state champions who signed last week to play for West Texas A&M, says the team’s veterans will try to share their playoff experience with the newcomers.

Alamo Heights will enjoy a bye week while Boerne begins a three-game series against Brackenridge today at the NEISD fields.

Games today and Friday will be played at 7 p.m. A third game, if needed, will be played at noon on Saturday.