Richland Tops Celina in 4A Softball Series Behind Shannon, Garcia & Riley HR

Three weeks from her due date, Richland head coach Alexis Cantu was on the field coaching her Raiders through a 4A softball series against Celina — and her team delivered.

Both programs came out making plays in the field early. Richland centerfielder Berklee Shannon laid out for a diving catch that kept a Celina rally in check, limiting the Bobcats to a sacrifice fly run. Celina centerfielder Jayda Garcia answered with a tumbling grab of her own going to the wall, making it clear neither team was going to give away outs. The game stood at 1-1 after the first inning.

Richland broke the tie in the top of the fourth when Layla Pourchiau dropped a single in front of the outfielder to score Alani De Leon, putting the Raiders up 2-1. Celina tied it back up in the fifth, but that's when Sam Riley ended the back-and-forth. She drove a pitch over the left field wall for a two-run home run, and Richland never looked back.

The Raiders went on to win Game 1 by a final of 13-2, taking the series and advancing in the 4A postseason.