The Pflugerville High softball team held off Austin High to earn a hard-fought district win Monday afternoon.

The Panthers (14-1, 4-0) led 1-0 entering the sixth inning but fell behind 2-1 after Maroon pitcher Veronica Garcia plated two runs with a base hit. Pflugerville’s offense, which had been held in check by Garcia for most of the game, went to work in the bottom of the frame. Tori Gomez, who had three hits on the game, ripped a single up the middle to lead off the inning. Crystal Gonzales entered the game to pinch run for Gomez and moved to second with one out when Garcia plunked Panther Taylor Garcia. Brittany Harley followed Taylor Garcia to the plate and proceeded to hit a shot to right field that was misplayed by the Austin right fielder, allowing Harley to reach second and scoring Gonzales. Taylor Garcia reached third on the play but Harley was thrown out when she took too wide of a turn around second base. With two outs and Celina Ramos at the plate, Veronica Garcia uncorked a wild pitch allowing Taylor Garcia to score the game-winning run.

“We got more disciplined at the plate,” Panther coach Dave Sisson said of his team’s rally. “They started hitting the ball and the balls started falling in.”

The game was mostly a pitcher’s duel between Victoria Garcia and Panther Haley Outon. Gomez had a single in the first inning and was the only base runner for either side until the fourth when an error put Veronica Garcia on base with two outs. Outon quickly got the next hitter to ground out to third base and the threat was quickly nullified.

The Panthers finally got to Vicotria Garcia in the bottom of the fourth. Gomez led the inning off with a single and moved up to second base when Haley Outon reached base on an error. Taylor Garcia put down a sacrifice to move the runners up a base. Harley followed with a ground ball to second base. Gomez tried to score on the play but was thrown out at home. With two outs Ramos came to the plate and beat out an infield single to score Haley Outon with the first run of the game. Harley was thrown out at third base on the play ending the inning.

The Panthers only other threat came in the fifth when Ashleigh Scott delivered a one-out single. Veronica Garcia retired the next two Pflugerville hitters to quickly end the threat.

Diedre Outon allowed just three Maroon hits all game, all of them coming in the sixth inning. She struck out three. Diedre Outon benefited from the fine defense of Gomez behind her in the seventh. After getting the first Maroon hitter to ground out to second, Diedre Outon gave up to shots to back-to-back Maroon hitters, but Gomez was there with her steady glove to catch both line drives and end the game.

With his team on a roll, Sisson is confident they can only get better.

“They are playing better every week,” he said. “They are really improving and showing a lot of leadership. We are building right now.”