The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team got distrrict play started on the right foot on Saturday, as they run-ruled the Denver City Fillies, 21-11, in six innings at Lady Cat Field.
With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 11-1 overall, 1-0 in district play.
Littlefield junior pitcher, Natalia Sanchez, and the Lady Cat defense made quick work of the Fillie offense, after giving up a lead-off walk to Mariela Ceniceros, Sanchez got Ashley Martinez to line out over second base to sophomore, Bryndle Ray, for out number one. Analee Larrea hit into a fielder’s choice to junior, Brinley Acevedo, at second base, who got the force out at second for out number two. Sanchez got Eva Gonzales to fly out to junior, Audrey McKinnon, in right field to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first inning, Ray drew a lead-off walk for the Lady Cats, and junior, Alyssa Torres, singled through the left side, putting two runners on for Littlefield. Both runners advanced on a ball in the turf and Ray scored on a throw down to third that rolled into left field, putting the Lady Cats in front, 1-0.
Senior, Taryn Golden, hit a shot back at Analee Larrea in the circle, who got the out at first as Torres advanced to third with one out. Sanchez ripped an RBI-double into left-center field, but freshman, Brianna Aleman, struck out swinging for out number two. Sophomore, Lyric Rios, drew a walk, putting runners on the corners for the Lady Cats, but junior, Myli Hernandez, popped up to Martinez at shortstop to end the inning.
The Lady Cats were able to keep the Fillies off the board in the second inning, despite giving up a walk and a single.
In the bottom half of the second, Acevedo popped up to second base for out number one, but McKinnon was hit by a pitch and Ray drew a walk, before Torres hit a sacrifice grounder to Analee Larrea in the circle, who got the out at first, as the runners advanced to second and third on the play. Golden knocked a two-RBI single through the right side to make the score, 4-0, as sophomore, Taylin Gomez, came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher.
Sanchez blasted a double to leftcenter field, but Gomez slipped trying to stop herself after rounding third and was tagged out in a rundown by Adamarie Rodriguez to end the inning.
In the top of the third inning, the lead-off batter, Ceniceros singled down the third base line, but Sanchez would retire the next three Fillies in order to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the inning, Aleman singled to right field and Rios had a single fall on the thirdbase line in shallow left field, before Hernandez and Acevedo both struck out swinging for two outs. McKinnon drew a walk to load the bases and Ray followed it up with a two-RBI single to right-center field, making the score, 6-0, with runners on the corners for Littlefield.
Torres kept the rally going with a two-RBI double down the thirdbase line, pushing the lead to, 8-0, and Golden followed it up with an RBI-double over the left fielder, Eva Gonzales to make the score, 9-0. Sanchez singled on a bobbled by Martinez at shortstop and Golden forced a throw to third, allowing her to score and Sanchez to advance to third, with the lead stretched to, 10-0.
Aleman kept it going with an RBI-single into left field to push the lead to, 11-0, and Rios singled to left field to put two runners on for the Lady Cats. The runners advanced to second and third on a past ball, and on another past ball, Aleman scored and Rios advanced to third, making the score, 12-0. Hernandez got on base, but Acevedo grounded out to third to end the inning.
Denver City broke through in the top of the fourth, as Makaylee Villarreal singled to right-center field to lead things off for the Fillies. She took second on a past ball and third on a pitch, before Jasmyn Villarreal knocked an RBIsingle past Aleman at third, trimming the lead to, 12-1. Rodriguez drew a walk, as Jackie Silva came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher, but Maite Larrea was called out for an infield fly for out number one.
Lozano hit into a fielder’s choice to Aleman at third, who stepped on her bag for the force out, but made a bad throw to first, putting runners on the corners for the Fillies with two outs. Ceniceros knocked a two-RBI triple into left field that got under the glove of Torres making the score, 12-3, and Martinez followed it up with an RBI-single through the left side to make the score, 12-4.
Analee Larrea knocked an RBIdouble into right-center field and Gonzalez unloaded the bases with a two-run homerun to center field, cutting the lead to, 12-7. Sanchez got Makaylee Villarreal to pop up to Rios in foul territory at first base to retire the side.
In the home-half of the fourth inning, McKinnon drew a lead-off walk and Ray doubled over third base, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs for the Lady Cats. Torres, though, would pop up to the shortstop for out number one and Golden chopped out to first, as McKinnon scored and Ray advanced to third, making the score, 13-7.
Sanchez knocked an RBI-single through the left side, but Aleman hit a slow roller to Jasmyn Villarreal at third, who threw to first for the out to end the inning with the Lady Cats on top, 14-7.
Denver City picked up where they left off to begin the fifth inning, as Jasmyn Villarreal drew a walk and Rodriguez singled past Aleman at third. Maite Larrea hit an RBI-single over first base to cut the lead to, 14-8. The runners advanced to second and third on a past ball and Lozano singled on an error by McKinnon in right field to drive in a run. She took second on the throw home from the out field with the score, 14-9.
Rios relieved Sanchez in the circle for Littlefield, as a run scored on a past ball and Lozano advanced to third, with the lead cut to, 14-10. Rios got Ceniceros to strike out swinging for out number one. Martinez flew out to Torres in left field for out number two and Analee Larrea popped up to Aleman at third base to retire the side.
The Lady Cats got the sticks going in the bottom half, as Rios led things off with a single through the left side and Hernandez followed it up with a single over second base, putting runners on the corners. Hernandez took second on a pitch, before Acevedo popped up to Makaylee Villarreal at first base for out number one.
McKinnon knocked a two-RBI double up the middle to push the lead back out to, 16-10, and Ray doubled off of the left-field fence, before Torres drove in two runs with a double over third base, stretching the lead to, 18-10. Golden hit a sacrifice grounder to second base and was thrown out at first, as Torres advanced to third on the play with two outs.
Sanchez drove in a run with a single off of the right-center field fence, pushing the lead to, 19-10, and she took second on a past ball, before Aleman struck out swinging to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth, Gonzales singled on an error by Aleman at third base and Makaylee Villarreal was hit by a pitch, before Rios got Jasmyn Villarreal to pop up to Golden in foul territory on the firstbase side for out number one. Rodriguez hit into a fielder’s choice to Ray at shortstop, who got the lead runner at third for out number two.
Maite Larrea singled up the middle to lead the bases for the Fillies, and a run scored on a past ball, as the runners advanced, trimming the lead to, 19-11. The Fillies would strand two, as Lozano flew out to Hernandez in cetner field to retire the side.
In the home-half of the sixth, Rios singled on an infield hit to Martinez at shortstop and Hernandez doubled through the left side on a throw to third. Acevedo reached base on a fielder’s choice, as Rios was thrown out at the plate, as Hernandez advanced to third with one out.
McKinnon hit a chopper to the pitcher, as Hernandez was caught in a rundown between third and home, but a bad throw to second rolled all the way to the center field fence allowing Acevedo and McKinnon to score, as the Lady Cats walked it off against the Fillies, 21-11.
Sanchez started in the circle for the Lady Cats, pitching four innings, giving up 10 hits, four walks and 10 runs, eight earned, while earning four strikeouts. Rios closed out the game pitching the final two innings, giving up two hits and one run, 0 earned, while earning one strikeouts.
The Lady Cats were at Lamesa on Tuesday for their first district meeting with the Lady Tornadoes. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season next Tuesday with a home game against Brownfield.
First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.