Salado Lady Eagles survived what can only be described as a pitchers’ duel between Meagan Hill and Navarro’s Cayli Cowan, winning 1-0 in the eighth inning of their bi-district playoff game on April 27.

The Lady Eagles will face Sweeny in the Area round of the playoffs.

The Lady Eagles will face Sweeny, the winner of the best-of-three series  with Sealy. Sweeny is the third place team out of District 26-4A and has a 20-8 record. Sweeny won the first game 11-3 and the second game 12-2.

Salado and Sweeny will play a best-of-three series beginning at 7:30 p.m. May 6 at Weimar High School. Game two will be played at 3 p.m. May 7 at Weimar with game three to follow 30 minutes later, if necessary.

Sweeny is the third place team out of District 26-4A and has a 20-8 record. Sweeny won the first game 11-3. They play again tonight and tomorrow.

In the Salado-Navarro matchup, both teams were scoreless through regulation play, as Hill struck out 12 batters and allowed just three hits. Cowan struck out 13 batters but gave up six hits. Hill walked one batter and Cowan walked three.

Cowan had two of the three hits that Hill allowed, leading off the first with a single. She hit a two-out triple to deep left but Hill got out of the inning by striking out Bailee Stanzione with four pitches.

Navarro threatened again in the fourth when Alyssa Hernandez drove a ball to deep center. A fielding error allowed Hernandez to get to third base, but Hill’s pitching again got Salado out of hot water as she struck out Sydnie Booker and forced a pop up to second baseman Lindy Martin by Amber Reneau to end the frame.

With one out in the sixth, Stanzione reached on a bunt and went to second on a passed ball. Hill retired the next two batters in quick order.

Salado loaded the bases in the fourth but could not push a runner across home plate. Rebecca Dockray led off the effort with a single. She advanced on a single by Madeline Murray with one out. A pop-up  led to the second out and Jenna Calder walked to load the bases before Cowan got a strike out for the final out.

Malory Schattle threatened to scored in the sixth, leading off with a single and going to second on a sacrifice grounder by Murray. She got caught trying to steal third.

Going into the extra inning, Schattle hit a single with two outs in the frame. She scored on the throw after Murray singled to deep right field.