AUSTIN – Scoring runs had been no problem for the Celina softball team.

Despite playing a schedule that featured several Class 4A and 5A powers, Celina had averaged eight runs per game entering Saturday's 3A state championship game. Fifteen times, Celina had scored at least 10 runs.

Then Celina ran into Needville junior pitcher Cally Falls.

Falls shut out Celina for six innings and finished with a five-hitter to lead Needville to a 3-1 victory before a crowd of 1,178 at McCombs Field.

Falls (31-7) was named MVP after helping Needville (35-8) – the No. 2 seed from District 26-3A – win its first state title in softball.

"She kept pitching us up," Celina catcher Jasmine San Miguel said. "It wasn't really a riseball. It was just a fastball that was up high, and that threw us off."

San Miguel produced Celina's only run by blasting a one-out home run over the left-field fence in the top of the seventh. The next batter, Shelby Carter, was hit by a pitch, bringing the tying run to the plate. But Falls retired the next two hitters to end the game.

Celina (37-6), playing in its first state title game, had three hits in the first two innings but couldn't score. Falls then allowed only one hit over the next four innings against a Celina team that had won 20 of its previous 21 games.

"She spins the ball really well," Celina coach Billy Coleman said of Falls. "We weren't as disciplined at the plate as we have been. We swung at some pitches that were up in the zone."

Needville had six hits and made the most of its opportunities against Celina's Kylie Roos (31-4), a Northwestern State signee who had beaten 5A state semifinalist Cedar Park Vista Ridge, 4A state semifinalist Mesquite Poteet and 2A state champion Brock.

Needville took a 1-0 lead in the third when Shauni Prihoda stole third with two outs and scored when the throw went into left field.

Needville again scored with two outs in the fourth when an infield single by Cierra Wieghat drove in Shelby Parham. Singles by Jenny Stack and Wieghat in the sixth helped Needville to a 3-0 lead.