The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team wrapped up their regular season on Saturday with a, 2211, victory over the Slaton Tigerettes, behind seven homeruns.
With the win, the Lady Cats finish the season 15-12 overall, 9-3 in district play.
Amaya McCanick pitched six innings for the Lady Cats giving up eight hits, five walks and 11 runs, eight earned, while striking out six batters.
In the top of the first inning, Kolbi McCord doubled on a line drive to center field, but McCanick, would bounce back in the circle, as she got Z’Naleigh Escobedo to strike out swinging for out number one. Zuri Martinez followed it up with an RBI-triple to left field to put the Tigerettes in front, 1-0, and A Luera kept it going with an RBI-single to center field, stretching their lead to, 2-0.
Burkelynn Lamberson lined out to Tailyn Gomez in left field for out number two and Reese Martinez popped up to Sophia Mata in center field to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Bryndle Ray drew a lead-off walk, before stealing second on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball to get into scoring position. Mata walked to put runners on the corners, and she would steal second on a pitch, before Isaihla Garza hit a sacrifice grounder to Luera at third, as Ray scored on the throw to first and Mata advanced to third, cutting the lead to, 2-1.
Mata scored on a passed ball to tie the game, 2-2, before McCanick popped up to Aracellie Muniz in the circle for out number two, and Maggie McNeese struck out swinging to end the inning.
In the second frame, McCanick got Bre Guzman to strike out swinging to lead things off, but Jessleigh Lamberson followed it up with a solo homerun to center field to put Slaton back on top, 3-2. Muniz struck out swinging for out number two, but McCord drew a walk to give the Tigerettes a base runner. Escobedo, though, would strike out looking to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the second, Brianna Aleman grounded out to McCord at shortstop and Hannah Lopez struck out swinging for out number two. Abby Rodriguez drew a walk to give the Lady Cats a base runner, as London Taylor came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Taylor advanced to second on a passed ball, before Gomez ripped an RBI-triple to Left field to tie the game, 3-3.
Ray singled on an error by the left fielder, as Gomez scored to put Littlefield in front, 4-3. Mata drew a walk to put runners on first and second, but Garza grounded out to Muniz in the circle to end the inning.
The battle continued in the third inning, as Zuri Martinez lined out to Mata in center field for out number one. Luera singled up the middle to give Slaton a base runner, but, Burkelynn Lamberson lined out to Gomez in left field for out number two. Reese Martinez singled to left field and Guzman cleared the bases with a three- run homerun to left field, making the score, 6- 4, with Slaton back in front.
McCanick would bounce back, Jessleigh Lamberson grounded out to her in the circle to retire the side.
McCanick led off the bottom of the third with a double to right field, before McNeese popped up to third base for out number one. Aleman hit a shot to left field for a two-run inside of the park homerun to tie the game, 6-6. Lopez singled through the left side, but Rodriguez grounded out to left field for out number two. Gomez would clear the bases with a two-run homerun to left field to put the Lady Cats back in front, 8-6.
Ray followed it up with a solo homerun to center field to extend the lead to, 9-6, and Mata singled through the left side to give the Lady Cats another base runner. Mata stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, before Garza singled up the middle to score Mata from third, making the score, 10- 6. McCanick would strike out swinging to end the rally.
McCanick and the Lady Cat defense went back to work in the top of the fourth, as McCanick got Muniz to strike out swinging for out number one. McCord singled on an error by Peyton Galvan, allowing her to take second on the play, and Escobedo drew a walk, putting runners on first and second with one out.
Zuri Martinez lined out to Mata in center field, but the runners tagged up and advanced to second and third with two outs. Luera singled to left field on an error by Galvan, as McCord and Escobedo scored to cut the lead to, 10-8. Burkelynn Lamberson singled on a hard grounder to Ray, reaching on an error, as Luera advanced to third. Burkeylnn Lamberson was picked off at first base to retire the side.
In the home-half of the fourth, McNeese grounded out to Luera at first base and Aleman popped up to McCord at shorstop for out number two. Lopez, though, blasted a homerun to left field to stretch their lead to, 11- 8. Rodriguez drew a walk, but Gomez grounded out to McCord at shortstop to end the inning.
The Lady Cat defense got the Tigerettes to go three-upand- three-down in the top of the fifth, and in the bottom half of the inning, Ray was hit by a pitch to give the Lady Cats a base runner. She stole second on a pitch, before Mata grounded out to Zuri Martinez at second base for out number one, as Ray advanced to third on the play.
Garza roped an RBI-double to center field, as Ray scored from third to push their lead to, 12-8. McCanick grounded out to Zuri Martinez at second base, who got the out at first, as Garza advanced to third on the play, and McNeese followed it up with an RBI single to center field, extending their lead to, 13-8.
Aleman cleared the bases with a two-run homerun to left field to stretch their lead to, 15-8, and Lopez drew a walk to keep the two-out rally going. Rodriguez would unload the bases again for the Lady Cats with a two-run homerun to left field, pushing their lead to, 17-8, before Gomez grounded out to Luera at first base to end the rally.
McCanick got Muniz to strike out looking to begin the sixth inning, but McCord drew a walk, Escobedo singled to center field and Zuri Martinez drew a walk to load the bases for Slaton. Luera walked in a run to make the score, 17-9, but Burkelynn Lamberson grounded into a fielder’s choice to Ray at shortstop, who flipped it to Garza at second, who then threw to first, but the throw was not in time for the double play, as Escobedo scored and Zuri Martinez advanced to third with two outs and the score trimmed to, 17-10.
Reese Martinez singled on an error by McNeese at first base, as Zuri Martinez scored from third to cut the lead to, 17- 11, before Guzman popped up to Garza at second base to end the inning.
Ray singled on a grounder to third, reaching third on an error by Escobedo to begin the bottom of the sixth for Littlefield. Mata singled on a ground ball to center field, as Ray scored to stretch their lead to, 18-11. Garza hit into a fielder’s choice to Reese Martinez in right field, as she got the out at second for out number one. McCanick singled to center field and took second on the throw home, and McNeese reached on an error by Zuri Martinez at second base, as Garza scored and McCanick advanced to third, making the score, 19-11. Aleman would walk it off with a three run homerun to center field, as Littlefield run- ruled the Tigerettes, 22-11.
The Lady Cats will take on the Bushland Lady Falcons Friday and Saturday in a home-and-home series in the Class 3A-DI Bi-district round of the softball play-offs. Game one is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Littlefield, Game 2 will be Saturday at noon at Bushland, and game three will follow game two if needed.