Taylor never stopped believing in themselves.

When the Mustangs fell to 4-7 in district, they didn’t stop believing, when they faced a do or die game against a team they hadn’t beaten in over a decade, they didn’t stop believing and it all led to the Mustangs pushing all the way to a play-in game for the last playoff spot in District 19-6A.

Once Taylor got that chance, they took full advantage, as the Mustangs earned a 15-4 win over Seven Lakes on Monday to earn the fourth and final playoff spot out of the district.

“I’m just extremely proud of this group,” said Taylor head coach Thomas Powell. “We thought before the season started that we had a pretty good shot to get to playoffs, but the injury bug hit us and we lost a few close games and they could have given up hope. They’ve just been so unselfish since then. They’re moving runners over, they’re sacrificing and they’re playing the game the right way. It’s led to six wins in a row and I just couldn’t be prouder of the way they responded.”

Just two weeks ago, the Mustangs season looked like it might be over after a fourth consecutive loss, but since then they have gone on a roll, winning six straight to clinch the programs first playoff berth in 12 seasons.

It was a hot start that carried through the whole game Monday for Taylor. Izzy Allen started things in the top of the first with a two-run single and Katelyn Wentzler followed that up with an RBI single as the Mustangs went up by three runs in the first inning. Kaelyn Lerma kept things going with a leadoff home run in the second before Wentzler drove in two runs with a single for another three-run inning. They kept piling on in the third, the Mustangs scored one from a passed ball and Izzy Allen brought three home with a triple.

Seven Lakes tried to bring things back and hit two solo home runs in the bottom in the third from Emily Johnson and Dulce Franco to trim the Mustangs lead to 10-2. But Taylor answered back in the fifth, as Katherine Brunner hit a two-run home run, as well as runs on a passed ball, a Kenna Irvin single and a Lerma single. Ashley Abel hit a two-run home run for the Spartans in the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough as the Spartans weren’t able to bring the deficit any closer and the game ended in five innings.

Ari Hughes once again had a strong day on the mound, allowing four runs on eight hits and walking two while earning the win.

“We just all believed in ourselves and we knew if we played at a team we could do it,” Allen said. “We put in the effort and the drive and we played every game with everything we had. We’ve had great pitching and everyone has been doing what they needed to do. It’s just been so great.”

The Mustangs advance to play George Ranch in the bi-district round. Games one and two will be played at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday at George Ranch and game three will be played at 10 a.m. Saturday at Taylor if needed.

A matchup against a one-seeded district champion is always tough, but Taylor knows tough, and this is nothing new.

“We have great pitching and that gives the defense confidence, and then that just gives Ari more confidence on the mound too,” Allen said. “That bleeds over to the offense and all of a sudden we’re putting up runs, we’re making plays and diving everywhere and everyone’s doing what they need to do. We have great confidence in ourselves. We know we can do it, we just have to be together as a team and play for each other.”