The Sudan Nettes’ varsity softball team began a threegame series with the Tahoka Lady Bulldogs on Thursday, dropping game one in Sudan, 6-4, in the Class 2A-D2 Bi-district round of the softball playoffs.
With the loss, the Nettes fall to, 15-11-1 overall on the year, 0- 1 in the bi- district play- off series.
Danielle Mitchell pitched a complete game for the Nettes, throwing seven innings in the circle. She gave up nine hits, six runs, one earned, while earning five strikeouts.
In the top of the first inning, Calgary Due hit a hard ground ball to third and reached on an error by Danalei Kelley to give Tahoka their first base runner of the game. Due stole second on a pitch, before Mitchell got Marlee Stone to ground out to Andrea Williams at second base for out number one. Due advanced to third on the play.
Raymie Scott hit a fly ball to left field, resulting in an RBIdouble to put Tahoka in front, 1- 0, but Mitchell got Malaya Garcia to strike out swinging and she got Madde De Leon to ground out to Haylee Toscano at shortstop to retire the side.
In the home- half of the first inning, Haylee Toscano drew a lead- off walk and she stole second on a pitch, before Williams struck out swinging for out number one. Mitchell was hit by a pitch and Daniella Ramirez followed it up with an RBI- single to right field to tie the game, 1-1.
Lillianna Sanchez would fly out to Stone in right field and Reyna Limon-Johnson popped up to Serenity Garza behind the plate to end the inning.
Mitchell and the Nettes’ defense kept the Lady Bulldogs quiet in the top of the second, as Mitchell got Jayden Woodley to strike out swinging for out number one. Espe Bustamante hit a shot to right field to give Tahoka a base runner, but Mitchell got Garza to go down looking and she got De Leon to ground out to Williams at second base to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the inning, Kelley flew out to Stone in right field to lead things off, but Alissa Montes bunted her way on base to give the Nettes a base runner. Montes would take second on a wild pitch, before Kalissa Harris flew out to Due in center field for out number two.
Montes took third on a passed ball and Haylee Toscano drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Sudan. She would steal second on a pitch, before Williams blasted a two- RBI double to left field to put the Nettes in front, 3-1. Mitchell would pop up to Scott at shortstop to end the inning.
Tahoka responded in the third inning, as Due singled on a ground ball to Williams at second base, but Stone popped up to Mitchell in the circle for out number one. Scott ripped an RBI- double to left field to cut the Sudan lead to, 3-2, but Mitchell got Garcia to fly out to Williams at second base for out number two and De Leon hit into a fielder’s choice to Haylee Toscano at shortstop, who got the force out at third to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the third, Ramirez drew a lead-off walk for the Nettes, but Sanchez popped up to Gill in the circle for out number one. Ramirez took second on a passed ball, before Limon-Johnson drew a walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Kelley grounded out to Scott at shortstop, as the runners advanced to second and third and Montes followed it up with an RBI-single on a bunt to score Ramirez and make the score, 4- 2, with runners on the corners.
Montes stole second on a pitch and Harris drew a walk to load the bases for Sudan, but Haylee Toscano flew out to Stone in right field to end the inning.
The score remained, 4-2, until the top of the sixth inning, when De Leon reached on an error by Montes in right field, putting her on third to begin the inning. Woodley reached on a dropped third strike that got by Harris behind the plate putting runners on the corners for Tahoka. Mitchell got Bustamante to pop out to Williams at second base for out number one, but De Leon would steal home on a play to cut the lead to, 4- 3.
Garza popped up to Williams at second base for out number two, but Amiya Ford followed it up with an RBI-single to right field to tie the game, 4- 4, before Due flew out to Williams at second base to retire the side.
Sudan earned back- to- back walks by Mitchell and Ramirez to begin the bottom of the sixth inning, but Sanchez popped up to Gill in the circle, Limon-Johnson struck out looking and Kelley grounded out to De Leon at first base to end the inning.
Stone got the Lady Bulldogs going in the seventh inning with a single, but Mitchell got Scott to strike out looking for out number one. Garcia reached on an error by Montes in right field and De Leon followed it up with two- RBI double to center field to put the Lady Bulldogs in front, 64. Mitchell would get Woodley to pop up to Kelley at third base in foul territory for out number two and she got Bustamante to ground out to her in the circle to retire the side.
The Nettes would be kept off the board in the bottom of the seventh, as they dropped game one to Tahoka, 6- 4.
Game two was Friday evening at Tahoka. Results were not available at press time. Game 3, if necessary will be on Saturday at 4 p. m. at LCU.