The Sudan Nettes’ varsity softball team was doomed by errors and walks, as they fell to the Sundown Roughettes on Monday, 34-23.
With the loss, the Nettes fall to 1-8 overall on the season.
In the top of the first inning, sophomore pitcher, Landree Gonzales, got the lead-off batter, Ella McCormick to strike out swinging for out number one, but Daniella Reyna followed it up with a double off of the glove of Elora Thorn in center field. Simara Reyes singled on a hit to shortstop that was bobbled by Kambry Tolbert and Alex De La Cerda drew a walk to load the bases for Sundown.
Autum Olivas hit an RBI-single to put the Roughettes up, 1-0, and Natalie Urias hit a sacrifice flyball to Elora Thorn in center field, that allowed the runner on third to tag-up and score to extend their lead to, 2-0. Jade Ross lined out to Tolbert at shortstop to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the first, sophomore, Braelyn Pointer, grounded out to Alice Melendez at second base, but Elora Thorn popped up in front of the plate and was able to make it to first safely to give the Nettes a base runner. Junior, Liz Sital, was hit by a pitch and sophomore, Gracyn Shultz, followed it up with an RBI-single through the left side to cut the lead in half, 2-1. Tolbert roped an RBI-double to right field to tie the game, 2-2.
Gonzales drew a walk to load the bases, but the Nettes would leave the bases juiced as the inning came to an end.
The Nettes made quick work of the Roughettes in the top of the second inning, after giving up a lead-off walk, Gonzales got Melendez to strike out for out number one. With a runner on second, McCormick struck out swinigng and was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike for out number two. On a heads-up play, the Nettes threw to second to tag out Clarissa Chagoya for the double to
In the bottom fo the second, Hailey Flores drew a walk and Blessy Montes was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second for the Nettes. Pointer popped up in the infield, which was called an infield fly and Flores was thrown out at third for out number two. Elora Thorn roped an RBI-double to left field to put the Nettes up, 3-2, but Sital struck out swinging to end the inning.
Sundown busted the game wide open in the top of the third inning with eight runs to take a, 10-3, lead into the bottom half of the side.
Shultz got the Nettes offense going in the bottom of the third with a single to left field and she took second on a ball in the dirt and third on a past ball, before Tolbert drew a walk putting runners on the corners for Sudan. Gonzales was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Kinley Coker struck out swinging for out number one.
Flores hit an RBI single over shortstop and Victoria Leal drew an RBI walk to trim the lead to, 5-10. Pointer drew another RBI walk and Elora Thorn followed it up with a two-RBI single to McCormick at shorstop, who went to second on the fielder’s choice, but the toss was dropped by Melendez, making the score, 10-8.
Sital drew a walk to reload the bases for Sudan and Shultz walked in a run to make it a one-run game, 10-9. Tolbert walked to load the bases, as Elora Thorn scored on a past ball to tie the game, 10-10 and Sital too scored on a past ball to give Sudan the lead, 11-10, before Gonzales walked to keep the bases loaded for Sudan.
Coker walked in a run to push Sudan’s lead to, 12-10, but Flores struck out looking for out number two. Sudan continued to take advantage of bad pitches, as Leal walked in a run to make the score, 13-10. Pointer followed it up with a three-RBI single to right field to extend their lead to, 16-10, and Elora Thorn and Sital drew back-to-back walks to load the bases once more for Sudan.
Shultz hit a three-RBI double to center field that was dropped to make the score, 19-10, and Tolbert and Gonzales walked to keep the bases loaded for Sudan. But, Coker would strike out looking to end the rally for the Nettes.
Sundown scratched six runs across in the top of the fourth inning to cut the Sudan lead to, 19-16, and the Nettes were unable to get anything going in the bottom half of the side, as they took a three-run lead into the fifth inning.
The Roughettes added six more runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead, 22-19, and the Nettes’ bats again fell silent, as they trailed by three runs heading into the sixth inning.
Sundown would outscore the Nettes, 12-4, in the sixth inning to take the contest, 34-23.
The Nettes were at Floydada on Saturday to take on the Lady Winds. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday with a home game against Ralls.
First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.