Lady Cardinals win in Hermes' final game
St. Paul finishes third straight trip to state with blowout
Friday, May 13, 2011
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WACO - For Kaedy Hermes, the third time was the charm.
The St. Paul Lady Cardinals celebrate after winning state at Waco ISD Friday afternoon. St. Paul won 11-1.
After making the state tournament the previous two seasons the Shiner St. Paul Lady Cardinals blew out Watauga Harvest Christian 11-1 in five innings to win the TAPPS 1A/2A state softball championship at the Waco ISD Athletic Complex on Friday.
The state final was Hermes' final game as Lady Cardinals softball coach.
"That was just an awesome way to finish, and I was so proud of them," Hermes said.
Hermes will be moving to Midland and will not be coaching or teaching.
The victory was really a year in the making as the Lady Cardinals were motivated to win a softball state championship after losing to rival Hallettsville Sacred Heart in the 1A/2A final last year.
It was Sacred Heart's fourth straight state title.
"It's ridiculous to let the space between our ears decide a win or a loss and they just took care of it," Hermes said.
Hermes said in years past the Lady Cardinals overexert themselves in the semifinal and would come out flat in the following day's final.
That wasn't the case on Friday.
The Lady Cardinals beat TAPPS District 1-1A/2A champion Wichita Falls Notre Dame in the semifinal, then faced that district's second place team in the final.
The Lady Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the first and blew the game open with a four-run second inning.
The Lady Cardinals built a 6-0 lead after an inning and a half they would not look back from.
"We didn't come out flat today," Hermes said. "We came out with some kind of intensity that they dug out from some where and took care of it."
"We just blew it wide open and there was no stopping us."
The game was stopped after the fifth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Although Hermes said she can never rule out a return to coaching, she said the final group she coach at St. Paul will remain special for her.
"Even if I do go back to coaching I know I'm never going to find a group like that ever again," Hermes said.
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