Bullard sweeps Calallen to advance to first softball title game in program history - Tyler Morning Telegraph (original) (raw)

Published 2:21 am Friday, May 22, 2026

CYPRESS – Brooklyn Brannen stood in the pitching circle for Bullard, and Kylie Butcher was in the batter’s box for Corpus Christi Calallen.

Both were looking to help their respective program make history.

Brannen – the four-year standout for the Lady Panthers who was playing in her first state semifinal – was looking to lead Bullard to its first softball state championship game. Butcher was trying to keep Calallen’s season alive on the quest to win four consecutive state titles.

It was the fourth meeting between the standouts on Thursday night. Butcher flew out in the first inning. Butcher hit her 18th home run of the season in the third inning to extend the Calallen lead to 4-1. Brannen struck Butcher out with the bases loaded for the final out of the fourth inning to hold on to Bullard’s recently secured 5-4 lead. And then Brannen punched Butcher out one final time for the last out of the contest – and the series – as the Lady Panthers took a 5-4 victory over Calallen in Game 2 of a Class 4A Division 1 state semifinal series at Cypress Ranch High School. You could see the emotion on Brannen’s face as third baseman Emery Baker quickly embraced her before Brannen shared a hug with her catcher Lila Robertson.

“We’ve just worked so hard, all of us seniors for four years now. Every day. This is what we wanted. And we got here, and now we’ve got to go and win it,” Brannen said.

The victory sends the Lady Panthers to the state championship game for the first time in program history.

Email newsletter signup

“It’s great to see our hard work pay off,” Baker said. “We really worked for this moment. We worked so hard.”

“One of the messages that we sent this week to our kids was we knew that they were trying to make history, and we knew that we were standing between them and that,” Bullard head softball coach Julie Murry said. “And we were trying to make history, for us to get here. And that’s why I said, ‘Make our own history.’ I wanted to focus on us and being the best that we can be and not get too wrapped up in focusing on them.”

Bullard (36-7-1) awaits its opponent in the Class 4A Division 1 championship game, which will be played at 10 a.m. on May 29 at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin. Dumas won the opening game of the other semifinal, 4-1 over Prosper Richland. The two teams will play again at 4 p.m. Saturday at Lubbock Cooper High School.

But first, the Lady Panthers get to celebrate their semifinal series victory.

It started with Brannen hitting a three-run home run and striking out 10 batters in a 3-2 victory on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Lady Panthers fell behind early. A leadoff walk followed by two bunt singles allowed Calallen to go up 1-0. Kaylie Lopez was later hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 2-0.

Bullard was able to get a run back in the second inning. Peyton Walker struck out but reached on a dropped third strike and the throw to first got away, allowing Walker to sprint to third base. Walker then scored on a bunt single by Karter Swanson to cut the score to 2-1.

In the top of the third, Calallen pitcher Jordyn Thibodeaux hit a one-out single, and Butcher followed with a two-run home run to left field to make the score 4-1.

The Lady Panthers had a quick response. Kenzi Roberts led off the bottom of the third with a single, and Kirstin Malone followed with a walk. Brannen singled to make the score 4-2. A bunt single by Robertson scored Malone to cut it to 4-3. Brannen then stole home to tie the game at 4-4. Walker, who reached on a single, stole third base and the errant throw to third got away, and Walker came in to score the go-ahead run.

Calallen loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning, but Brannen struck out Butcher to keep the score at 5-4.

“We just knew we needed baserunners,” Baker said. “Baserunners, baserunners, baserunners. Once we get people on, we can score them, and that was our goal.”

While Bullard was unable to add to its lead, Brannen and the Lady Panther defense didn’t allow a baserunner for the final three innings to secure the game and series victory.

“We had to do this yesterday,” Brannen said. “It’s just come out, get three outs, and obviously they’re all good hitters, so I was just doing my thing, attack the zone, hit my spots, and it would work out.”

“They’re just a group of very resilient young people, and they’ve shown a real warrior mentality throughout this playoff season,” Murry said. “I know we’re led by our seniors, but the underclassmen have taken on that same warrior mentality, and they’ve refused to lose right now. And all respect to Calallen. They have a wonderful program and have accomplished so much. But we stuck to a gameplan tonight, and we’re really proud of our kids for doing that.”

Brannen allowed four runs on six hits with nine strikeouts and four walks in seven innings.

Thibodeaux, a McNeese State signee, allowed five runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in six innings.

Brannen, Robertson, Walker, Swanson and Roberts all had a hit for the Lady Panthers.

Kris Leal led Calallen (29-10-2) with two hits.

“We got a lot of ground ball outs,” Murry said. “Kirstin, just playing solid defense. I think overall it was a great team win. We executed some small ball ourselves and did some good things to scratch our way back in it. We knew they were going to come out with their backs against the wall. We knew that’s what they were going to do. But it feels really great to make history for Bullard High School, for our alumni that are here right now. I just hugged them and said, ‘Hey, this is just as much for you guys and the standard that you set as it is for the next people.’ I couldn’t be more proud. And one more win. We’re not done yet. That’s our focus.”