Chloe Walls singled home Hanah Campos with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Kaydence Allen left nine base runners stranded – including the sacks full in the top of the sixth – as the Brownwood Lady Lions held off the Glen Rose Lady Tigers, 5-4, Tuesday night in the District 6-4A softball opener for both teams.

“Glen Rose has a program that’s been successful and they have a little bit of a legacy going,” said Lady Lions head coach Cherita Munguia. “Every time we step out against them we know they’re somebody we can’t take for granted. They have good hitters, great coaches and consistent pitching, so for us to go out and take a game from Glen Rose, I think teams will have some question marks about how to handle us after this.”

The victory was the sixth in the last seven games for the Lady Lions (11-6, 1-0) after splitting their first 10 outings of 2025.

“The girls have to believe in themselves as much as we do,” Munguia said. “I can’t tell you how awesome it is to see them come together. I know there were a lot of question marks early on, but the way they have bonded and are determined to be something, they just can’t hesitate. They have to make sure they trust themselves as much as we do.”

Knotted at 4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Hanah Campos led off with a triple to left-center field after Glen Rose (10-7, 0-1) was unable to make a diving catch in the outfield. Walls then followed with second hit of the contest, an RBI single to right field off Marki Sandlin, who was tagged with the loss for the Lady Tigers.

Glen Rose, which erased a three-run deficit earlier in the contest, attempted to rally again in the top of the sixth as Lexee Simpson drew a walk and Cailey Harwell was hit by a pitch to start the frame. Allen then fanned Addison Treppa before Brooklynne Yant reached on a one-out error to load the sacks. But Allen responded by striking out Libby Turner and Sandlin to get out of the jam.

“That’s something we’ve been consistent with this year,” Munguia said. “I can’t tell you how many times teams have had bases loaded and didn’t score a single run, even if it was bases loaded with no outs. It’s just because the girls continuously don’t doubt themselves or their pitcher. They work on different situations constantly, they know where the ball’s going, and it’s a pride thing.”

In the top of the seventh, Allen walked Addison Reitzer with one out, but ground outs by Temperance Comer to Lila Mares at second base and Simpson to Campos at shortstop quashed the rally.

Glen Rose took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Turner drew a one-one walk and scored when Sandlin singled, coupled with an error in right field.

Brownwood knotted the score in the bottom of the second as Walls led off with triple down the left field line and came home on an RBI ground out by Allen.

The Lady Lions opened a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth as Walls reached on a throwing error, then Mares drew a walk. An RBI double to the base of the right field wall by Allen plated Walls for a 2-1 Brownwood edge. Tynlea Wilson then popped out to first base, but an errant throw to third allowed Mares to come home with the third run. Allen later scored when Jakayla Peek singled off the leg of the Glen Rose first baseman.

The Lady Tigers immediately answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game as RBI singles by Sandlin and Kitty Bell, along with an RBI ground out by Reitzer, produced runs.

Allen finished with 12 strikeouts, five walks and a pair of hit batters to go along with nine stranded runners, all after taking a ball off her hand earlier in the contest.

“In the first or second at-bat she got hit in the pitching hand and it left lace marks on her hand and her knuckles are bruised,” Munguia said. “I needed to know if she could go and she left no doubt in her eyes and she went and finished this. To take down the first district opponent, and to do it with an injury, is insane.”

Walls and Jeniffer Romero led the Brownwood offense with two hits apiece followed by one each from Allen, Campos, Mares and Peek. Walls scored twice and Campos, Mares and Allen also crossed the plate, while RBIs belonged to Allen with a pair and Walls and Peek with one each.

The Lady Lions next visit Mineral Wells (13-5, 0-1), which is coming off an 8-3 Tuesday loss to Brock (16-0-2, 1-0), at 5 p.m. Friday in Brownwood’s first district road outing. In Tuesday’s other District 6-4A game, Graham (6-10, 1-0) slipped past Stephenville (10-8-1, 0-1) by a 5-4 count.