The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team fell to the Shallowater Fillies on the road on Saturday, 13-3, in their first meeting of district play.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 1-1 in district play.
Amaya McCanick pitched four innings for the Lady Cats giving up seven hits, eight walks and 13 runs, seven earned. She also had five strikeouts.
In the top of the first inning, Bryndle Ray got the Lady Cats going with a double down the left-field line, and Sophia Mata laid down a bunt in front of home plate that was fielded by the catcher, Kynsi Sue, who over threw first base, allowing Ray to score, making the score, 1-0.
McCanick struck out swinging for out number one and Bri Aleman struck out swinging for out number two. Mata would take second on a passed ball, before Maggie McNeese was called out looking to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Gracie Banks singled to right-center field to lead things off for Shallowater. She would take second and third on passed balls, before Skyler Stephenson struck out swinging for out number one. Kambreigh Baker and Phoenix Navejar drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Banks scored on a passed ball, as the other runners advanced to second and third with the game tied, 1-1.
Aspen Saiz drew a walk to reload the bases before Kassidy Dutra struck out looking for out number two. Braylee Golden would followed it up with a two-RBI single to the right-field corner, putting Shallowater in front, 3-1. Sue, though, would laid down a bunt that was fielded by Aleman, who got the out at first to end the inning.
Hannah Lopez got the Lady Cats going in the second inning, as she reached base on a dropped third strike that got by Sue behind the plate. Tailyn Gomez laid down a sacrifice bunt in front of the plate and was thrown out at first, as Lopez advanced to second on the play. Isaihla Garza doubled through the left side, but Peyton Galvan struck out swinging for out number two and Ray popped up to third base to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the second inning, Ava Martinez grounded out to second base for out number one, but Banks had a fly ball fall in center field on the diving attempt by Mata, landing her on second base with a double. Stephenson laid down a bunt on the firstbase line that was fielded by McNeese, but she missed the tag, leaving runners on the corners for Shallowater.
Stephenson stole second on a fake throw-down to Garza, but she missed the ball allowing Martinez to score and Stephenson to advance to third, pushing the lead to, 4-1. Baker drew a walk, as Stephenson scored on a passed ball. On the same play, Baker advanced to third on errors, making the score, 5-1.
Navejar drew a walk to put runners on the corners, as Brailey Scarborough came on to run. She stole second on a pitch, before Saiz singled up the middle to drive in two runs, stretching the lead to, 7-1. Dutra doubled past Gomez in left field and Golden drew a walk to load the bases, before Martinez followed it up with a two-RBI single past Galvan in right field, extending the Fillie lead to, 9-1.
McCanick would get Banks to fly out to Gomez in left field to end the inning.
Mata hit a shot to Stephenson at shortstop, who made a diving stop, before throwing to first for the out to begin the third inning. McCanick struck out looking for out number two, but Aleman singled on an error by Dutra at third base to give the Lady Cats a base runner. McNeese, though, would strike out swinging to retire the side.
Stephenson drew a walk to give the Fillies a base runner in the bottom of the third and she stole second and third to get into scoring position. Baker was thrown out at first by Lopez on a dropped third strike, but the run scored, making the score, 10-1. McCanick got Navejar to ground out to Garza at second base and she got Saiz to fly out to Ray in right-center field to end the inning.
The Lady Cats couldn’t get much going in the top of the fourth, as Lopez and Abby Rodriguez both struck out swinging to lead things off. Garza singled up the middle, but Galvan struck out looking to retire the side.
The Lady Cat defense tightened up in the bottom of the fourth, after Dutra was hit by a pitch and Taylor Jarrett came on to run for her. Jarrett stole second on a pitch, before Golden lined out to Galvan in right field for out number one. Sue struck out swinging for out number two and Martinez chopped out to McCanick in the circle to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth, Ray popped out to the left side for out number one, but Mata picked her up with a double to left-center field. McCanick popped up to Dutra at third base for out number two, but Aleman singled to shallow left field on a diving attempt by the Fillies, driving in a run to trim the lead to, 10-2.
McNeese roped an RBIdouble passed Stephenson in center field to cut the lead to, 10-3, but Lopez flew out to Stephenson in shallow right-center field to retire the side.
Shallowater would walk it off in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs to take down the Lady Cats, 13-3.
The Lady Cats hosted Idalou on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Saturday with a road game against Muleshoe.
First pitch is scheduled for noon.