The John Cooper Sports: Dragon Softball Opens Season With A Tournament

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Dragon Softball Opens Season With A Tournament. Results from the week of February 19, 2024

VARSITY BASEBALL

2/22-24 at Round Robin Tournament at JCS

vs Fort Bend Christian • 8-6 L

vs Bay Area Christian • 7-3 L

vs Fort Worth Country Day • 13-2 L

Coach Domonique Lewis: The Dragons kicked off their Round Robin tournament by facing off against the Fort Bend Christian Eagles on Thursday. Despite taking a commanding lead with a five-run advantage, the Dragons fell short and lost the game with a final score of 8-6. The Dragons showcased their offensive prowess by out-hitting the Eagles, with Cooper Dupuis delivering an impressive three-hit performance and Neil Mallik contributing two hits. Jackson Dillon, Jackson Todd, and Campbell Starley also made significant contributions to the team's offense by securing hits and scoring runs. However, the Dragons' performance in the 5th and 6th innings was marred by errors and walks, allowing the Eagles to seize the lead and ultimately secure the victory.

The Dragons engaged in yet another intense matchup on Friday, this time against Bay Area Christian. The game remained tightly contested throughout, but unfortunately, the Dragons were unable to maintain their momentum in the final inning. Despite the loss, several players stood out with their impressive performances at the plate. Jackson Dillon, Lucas Triplett, Neil Mallik, Carmine Johnson, and Campbell Starley all collected hits for the Dragons. In the 4th inning, both Lucas Triplett and Campbell Starley stepped up and drove in runs, resulting in a tie game. However, Bay Area Christian capitalized on fielding errors in the final inning, ultimately securing a 7-3 victory over the Dragons.

The Dragons' third and final game of the Round Robin tournament took place against Fort Worth Country Day. The game got off to a challenging start for the Dragons, with Country Day scoring an impressive nine runs in the 1st inning alone. However, the Dragons showed resilience and regrouped from the 2nd inning onwards. They put up a strong fight, managing to score two runs on four hits. Despite their efforts, the final score stood at 13-2 in favor of Country Day. Notably, freshman Blake Lopez delivered an outstanding performance on the mound, showcasing his potential with a remarkable outing. He pitched for three and one-third innings in relief, allowing only four hits and two earned runs. Although the Dragons faced a tough defeat, their ability to bounce back and compete after a challenging start demonstrated their determination and resilience.

Looking ahead, the Dragons have an intense schedule lined up for the following week. They will face Legacy Prep on Tuesday at Finnie Park at 5 pm, followed by four games at the Father Wilson Tournament, which will be hosted by St. Pius.

Next up for Dragon Baseball:

February 27 vs. Legacy Prep, 5 p.m.

February 29-March 2 at Father Wilson Tournament

2/29 vs. St. Pius X, 4 p.m.

3/1 vs. Waltrip High School, 10 a.m.

3/1 vs. Mansfield Knights, 3 p.m.

3/2 vs. St. Thomas High School, 6 p.m.

VARSITY SOFTBALL

2/22 at Fort Bend Christian Tournament

vs. Fort Bend Christian Academy • 11-1 L

The Dragons had a great start in the first inning thanks to a line drive to left field by Sydney Kelly followed by a line drive to right field by Daniela Villarreal giving the Dragons their run. Hits by Kelly, Cameron Patterson, and Villarreal.

vs. Heights High School • 4-0 L

Daniela Villarreal led the team with two hits and two at-bats.

2/24 at Fort Bend Christian Tournament

vs. Incarnate Word • 9-2 W

The team’s first win of the season started at the bottom of the first inning with a Cameron Patterson walk, a single by Daniela Villarreal, Leah Ruckman lined out and another walk by Riley Herring. They added three more runs in the bottom of the second with RBI walks by Isa Attwood and Pia Quintana.

Patterson was the winning pitcher and also led the team with two walks. Villarreal went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the team with hits and stole three bases. As a team, the team had a total of six walks for the game.

vs. St. Agnes Academy • 8-5 L

One hit each for Riley Herring and Daniela Villarreal and Sydney Kelly led the team with two runs batted in.

Coach Nicole Hedden: After the excitement of last year’s SPC 3A second-place finish and losing five starters, we have become a very young team this year. We are learning new positions and focusing on getting 1% better each day. We will have highs and lows this year, but we are taking it day by day. It’s not about how we start this year. It is about how we finish and the journey to get there as a team.

Next up for Dragon Softball:

March 1 at Mavericks Classic, Bayland Park

3/1 vs. HCYA 2:30 p.m.

3/1 vs. Hockaday School, 4:15 p.m.

3/2 vs. Legacy SSS, 9 a.m.

3/2 vs. Incarnate Word, 2:15 p.m.

VARSITY TENNIS

2/22 varsity girls at St. Agnes canceled

Next up for Dragon Tennis:

March 1-2 at TTC Private School Championships, A&M Consolidated

VARSITY GOLF

Next up for Dragon Golf:

February 27 boys team at Kinkaid Invitational, Blackhorse Golf Club

February 28 girls team at Kinkaid Invitational, Blackhorse Golf Club`

VARSITY TRACK & FIELD

2/22 at Dick Phillips Relays at Episcopal High School

Boys – 2nd place • Girls – 10th place

Boys 4x1 – 3rd Place (43.32) NEW SCHOOL RECORD

Quinn deGroot, Eli Grzelewski, Daniel Schlichter, Amir Rizvi

Boys 4x2 – 3rd Place (1:33.38)

Eric Sipko, Julio Fernandez Villarreal, Colten Rhoden III, Santiago Fernandez Villarreal

Eli Grzelewski – 3rd Place 100m (11.02)

Amir Rizvi – 2nd Place 110m Hurdles (16.20)/1st Place 300m Hurdles (41.66)

Mahi Khurana – 4th Place 800m (2:07) Personal Record

Michael Stupek – 1st Place 110m Hurdles (16.03)

Luke Van Leeuwen – 3rd Place Discus (115’)

Gus Feinberg – 3rd Place High Jump (6’2)

Julio Fernandez Villareal – 3rd Place Pole Vault (9’6) / 6th Place (5’10)

Santiago Fernadez Villarreal – 1st Place Pole Vault (15’0)

Daniel Schlichter – 4th Place Long Jump (20’6) Personal Record

Milla Signorelli – 1st Place Pole Vault (11’6)

Julianne Hon – 2nd Place Pole Vault (9’6)

Annabelle Boyd – 6th Place Shot Put (29’8 ¼)

Madeline Fitzpatrick – 10th Place Discus (73’6)

2/22 at Vandegrift Viper Distance Festival, Austin

Ava Perugini – 10th Place 800m (2:54.56)

Aedan Lanigan – 8th Place 800m (2:03.98)

Saif Rizvi – 14th Place 800m (2:12.17)

Lexie FitzSullivan – 16th Place 1600m (6:02.92)

Nathan Montes – 15th Place 1600m (4:38.49)

Tahira King – 7th Place 3200m (12:12.47)

Emma Locht – 11th Place 3200m (12:37.95)

Grey Mendenhall – 9th Place 3200m (9:43.71)

Walter Day – 14th Place 3200m (9:58.16)

Jacob Bailey – 19th Place 3200m (10:18.58)

Next up for Dragon Track & Field:

March 1-2 St. John’s Maverick Relays, St. John’s