The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team saw their season come to an end on Thursday night in Plainview, as they fell to the Bushland Lady Falcons, 10-1, in the Class 3A-DI Bi-district round of the softball play-offs.
With the loss, the Lady Cats finish the season with a mark of 15-9 overall on the year.
Senior, Natalia Sanchez, started in the circle for the Lady Cats, pitching four innings, giving up five hits, three walks and seven runs, four earned, while striking out one batter. Freshman, Amaya McCanick, came on in relief duty and pitched three innings, giving up two hits, four walks and three runs, two earned.
Piper Francis was hit by a pitch to give the Lady Falcons a base runner in the top of the first inning, but Sanchez got Chayney Snelson to fly out to Myli Hernandez in right field for out number one. Addison Appier flew out to Hernandez on the rightfield line, but Francis tagged up and took second on the play, and a bad throw in from Hernandez allowed Francis to round the bases and score to put Bushland up, 10.
Charley Spinks doubled off of the top of the right-center field fence, and Kami Albus hit a shot to third that got under the glove of Bri Aleman for an RBI-single. Albus took second on the throw home from Alyssa Torres in left field, making the score, 2- 0. Sanchez would bounce back in the circle, as she got Kylee Jordan to fly out to Hernandez on the right field line to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first inning, Torres lined out to Francis at shortstop for out number one, but Bryndle Ray had a pop up fall in shallow right field that rolled away from Albus, allowing Ray to advance to third on the play. However, Aleman would pop up to Brooklyn Briano at first base for out number two.
Sanchez drew a walk, as Sophia Mata came on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher, but Maggie McNeese struck out swinging to end the inning.
Farryn McKown drew a lead-off walk to begin the second inning, as Mattee Rehkopf came on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. Addyson Matthews popped up a bunt, that was caught behind the plate by Hannah Lopez for out number one. Haylee Ruiz singled over Abby Rodriguez at second base and Francis followed it up with an RBI-double to rightcenter field, pushing their lead to, 3-0.
Snelson connected with a checkswing that rolled to McNeese at first base, who stepped on the bag for out number two, as a run scored to extend the lead to, 4-0. Francis scored on a passed ball to stretch the lead to, 5-0, before Appier chopped out to McNeese at first base to retire the side.
The Lady Cats put the ball in play, but could find a gap offensively in the bottom half of the second inning, as Rodriguez lined out to Spinks in center field for out number one. Cali Saldana flew out to Spinks in center field for out number two and Hernandez popped up in foul territory to Briano at first base to end the inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the third inning, but in the top of the fourth, Matthews popped up to Lopez behind the plate for out number one, but Ruiz drew a walk to give Bushland a base runner and she took second on a pitch, before Francis struck out swinging for out number two. Snelson laced a shot to left field that got by Torres for an RBI-triple. The throw in bounced into the dugout, allowing Snelson to score, stretching their lead to, 7-0.
Appier hit a shot to center field that was missed on a diving attempt by Saldana, giving Appier a double. However, Spinks flew out to Hernandez in right field to retire the side.
The Lady Cats’ offensive struggles continued into the fourth inning, as Aleman struck out looking for out number one. Sanchez was hit by a pitch, as Mata came on to run for the pitcher, but McNeese and Rodriguez both struck out swinging to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth inning, McCanick relieved Sanchez in the circle for Littlefield, as she got Albus to ground out to McNeese at first base for out number one. Jordan flew out to Sanchez at second base for out number two, but McKown drew a walk, bringing Rehkopf on as the courtesy runner. She would take second on a pitch and third on a bad throw down by Lopez, before McCanick got Matthews to pop up to Aleman behind third base to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the fifth, the Lady Cats continued to struggle to string together some offense, as Saldana hit a one-hopper to second base for out number one. Hernandez struck out for out number two, but Lopez was hit by a pitch to give the Lady Cats a base runner. However, she would be stranded on base, as Torres lined out to second base to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth, Ruiz lined out to Mata at third base for out number one, but Francis drew a walk and took second on a pitch, before Snelson ripped an RBIdouble to left field to extend the lead to, 8-0. McCanick got Appier to pop up to Sanchez behind first base for out number two, before giving up a walk to Spinks. Snelson stole third on the pitch to put runners on the corners for Bushland.
But the threat would not come to pass, as Albus lined out to Hernandez in right field to end the inning.
In the home-half of the sixth, Ray drew a lead-off walk for the Lady Cats, and Mata followed it up with a double to left-center field, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Sanchez hit a sacrifice grounder up the middle and was thrown out at first, as Ray scored to get the Lady Cats on the board, trimming the lead to, 81.
Mata would be stranded on second base, as McNeese popped up to Francis at shortstop for out number two and McCanick popped up to second base to end the inning.
Bushland would add two runs in the top of the seventh, before holding the Lady Cats scoreless in the bottom half of the inning to take the Bi-district contest, 10-1.