Melissa (Texas) softball team sets new single-season national record

All season long, Melissa (Texas) High School’s softball team has shown off its dominating ways.

Thursday night, the undefeated Cardinals did it again - in record-setting fashion.

In the first game of the best-of-three UIL Texas 5A Division I regional semifinal series against Midlothian on Thursday in Coppell, Melissa set a new national record for the most home runs hit in a single season.

How to watch Melissa vs. Midlothian in Texas high school softball playoffs 

With three homers in Thursday’s 13-1 win, the Cardinals now have 107 homers on the season, breaking the previous record of 105 which was set by Louisiana school North DeSoto in 2022. North DeSoto hit its 105 homers in 39 games, whereas Melissa set the national record in just its 33rd game of the season.

Melissa tied the national record in the third inning on a homer from sophomore Izzy Gonzales. Then the very next batter, senior Paisley Needham, sent one soaring over the left-field wall for the record-setting shot.

Caigan Crabtree, a senior and Texas commit, extended the record even more with a home run of her own, coming into the fifth inning.

Kennedy Bradley, a junior and Florida commit, leads the Cardinals with 23 homers on the season. Crabtree has 16 homers, as does sophomore Finlee Williams.

The Cardinals (33-0), seeking to repeat as state champions, now go for the series win in Game 2 on Friday.