The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team fell short in their comeback efforts against Muleshoe on Saturday, falling at home to the Lady Mules, 7-6.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 10-5 overall, 2-2 in district play.
In the top of the first inning, Addi Blanco singled up the middle, before Natalia Sanchez got Elena Cisneros to strike out swinging for out number one. Heaven McMullen singled to left-center field and the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball, before Adalie Agundis hit a chopper to Bryndle Ray at shortstop, who got the out at first, but a bad throw to third by Maggie McNeese allowed two runs to score, putting Muleshoe in front, 2-0.
Sanchez would get Melanie Martens to strike out swinging to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first inning, Ray popped up to Blanco at second base for out number one and Alyssa Torres hit a shot to Agundis in the circle, who got the out at first for out number two. Myli Hernandez would chop out to Agundis on the left side to end the inning.
The Lady Cat defense settled in in the second inning, as Sanchez got Zoe Bustillos to pop up to Ray at shortstop for out number one. Madi Ortega drew a walk and stole second on a missed throw down by Ray, but Sanchez got Yali Ramirez to strike out swinging for out number two. Maci Stearmer grounded out to McNeese at first base to retire the side.
The Lady Cat bats stayed quiet in the bottom half of the second, as Sanchez popped up to McMullen at first base for out number one and McNeese popped up to Ramirez in shallow left field for out number two. Abby Rodriguez singled on an error by Ortega at third, but Cali Saldana grounded out to Blanco at second base to end the inning.
In the top of the third, Blanco grounded out to Ray at shortstop to begin the inning, but Cisneros singled up the middle and McMullen had a single fall in shallow right field putting runners on the corners for the Lady Mules. Agundis hit an RBI-double up the middle, but McMullen was tagged out by Rodriguez rounding the bag at third for out number two, as Muleshoe increased their lead to, 3-0.
Martens knocked a hard single through the left side, but Bustillos hit into a fielder’s choice to Brinley Acevedo at second base, who flipped it to Ray at second base for the force out to retire the side.
Hannah Lopez got the Lady Cats going with a solo homerun to center field to trim the lead to, 3-1, in the bottom of the third inning, but Acevedo struck out swinging and Ray popped up to Ortega at third for out number two. Torres would chop out to Agundis in the circle to end the inning.
The Lady Mules continued to scrap in the top of the fourth inning, as Ortega drew a lead-off walk and Ramirez laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Rodriguez, who got the out at first for out number one. Stearmer struck out looking for out number two, but Ortega took third on a passed ball and Blanco drove her in with an RBI-single to center field on a diving attempt by Saldana, making the score, 4-1.
Cisneros doubled over Saldana in center field to put runners on second and third for Muleshoe, but McMullen flew out to Saldana in center field to retire the side.
The Lady Cats were kept off the board in the bottom half of the fourth and in the top of the fifth, Agundis singled up the middle for the Lady Mules and Martens followed it up with a double off of the left-field fence to put runners on second and third for Muleshoe. Bustillos hit into a fielder’s choice to Ray at shortstop, who got the out at third, as a run came in to score, making the score, 5-1, with one out.
Sanchez got Ortega to strike out looking for out number two and Ramirez hit a one- hopper to Acevedo at second, who flipped it to McNeese at first to retire the side.
In the bottom of the fifth, Saldana led things off for the Lady Cats with a double to left-center field, but Littlefield was unable to capitalize, as Lopez popped up a bunt to Martens behind the plate for out number one. Acevedo flew out to Bustillos in center field for out number two and Ray grounded out to Ortega at third to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth inning, Andrea Rivas hit a slow roller to Acevedo at second base, and reached on a throwing error to give the Lady Mules a base runner. Blanco singled to shallow right field and Cisneros laid down a bunt that was fielded by Sanchez, who got the out at first for out number one.
McMullen hit a sacrifice fly to Torres in right field to bring in a run, pushing the lead to, 6-1, with two outs. Agundis hit an RBIsingle to right field to stretch the lead to, 7-1, and Martens doubled down the third-base line, as Amaya McCanick relieved Sanchez in the circle.
McCanick got Bustillos to pop up to Ray at shortstop to retire the side.
The Lady Cats would fire up the bats in the bottom of the sixth, as Torres led things off with a double to right-center field and Hernandez followed it up with a long bunt to third, beating it out to put runners on the corners for Littlefield. Torres scored on a bad throw down to third by Martens, as Hernandez took second on the play, trimming the lead to, 7-2.
Hernandez stole third on a passed ball, before McCanick drove her in with an RBI-single down the third-base line to cut the lead to, 7-3. McNeese drew a walk, as Bustillos relieved Agundis in the circle for Muleshoe. Rodriguez hit into a fielder’s choice to Agundiz at third, as she stepped on the bag for the force out for out number one.
Saldana though, would clear the bases with a three-run homerun to center field, slicing the lead to, 7-6. Lopez drew a walk to put the tying run on base, but Acevedo was called for interference on a thrown-down to first by Martens for out number two. Ray reached on an infield single to Agundis at third, but Torres hit into a fielder’s choice to Agundis at third, who stepped on the bag to end the inning.
The Lady Cats kept the Lady Mules off the board in the top of the seventh, and in the bottom half of the seventh, Hernandez grounded out to second base for out number one, but McCanick reached on an infield single to the left side, beating the throw to first. McNeese hit a sac grounder to Blanco at second base for out number two, but Rodriguez hit a shot up the middle, however, McCanick was thrown out at the plate trying to tie the game, as the Lady Cats fell, 7-6.
Sanchez started in the circle pitching 5.2 innings, giving up eight hits, two walks and seven runs, one earned, while striking out five. McCanick pitched 1.1 innings earning two strikeouts.