The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team clinched a playoff birth on Tuesday when they run-ruled the Dimmitt Bobbies, 15- 4, at Lady Cat Field.
With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 5-4 in district play.
Mykenzie Price flew out to Caitlyn Olmos behind second base for out number one in the top of the first inning, but Geyah Garza drew a walk to give Littlefield a base runner. Garza took second on a pitch to Cadence Sanchez and third on a past ball, before Sanchez hit a sacrifice grounder to second base, allowing Garza to score to make the score, 1-0.
Brookelyn Gau doubled down the right-field line, but Katelyn Gau grounded out to JC Sepeda in the circle to retire the side.
Sanchez got Olmos to strike out looking to lead off the bottom half of the side, but Sepeda laid downa slap that went off of the glove of Sanchez in the circle to give the Bobbies a base runner. Sepeda took second on a pitch, before Nina Vasquez hit an RBI-double into right-center field to tie the game, 1-1.
Maraya Corrales followed it up with an RBI-double over Tricia Torres in center field to put Dimmitt in front, 2-1, but Sanchez got Ariana Perez to strike out swinigng and she got Mariah Marmolejo to ground out to Malorie Garcia at third to end the inning.
Garcia drew a walk to lead off the second inning and she took second and third on past balls to Julie Rodriguez, before Rodriguez grounded out to Sepeda in the circle for out number one. Torres hit a hard single up the middle to score Garcia from third, tying the game, 2-2.
Torres took second on a pitch, before Kaeleigh Logan struck out swinging for out number two. Price ripped an RBI-double down the third-base line to put the Lady Cats back in front, 3-2, and Garza singled off of Sepeda in the circle, as Price advanced to third on the play. Price scored on a past ball, as Garza went first to third, with the score extended to, 4-2, but Sanchez popped up to the catcher to retire the side.
Sanchez made quick work of the Bobbies in the bottom of the second inning, as the lead off batter singled up the middle. Sera Garcia hit a sacrifice grounder to Rodriguez at second, who flipped it to first for the out. Ashleigh Broom hit an RBI-single to second on an error by Rodriguez to make it a one-run Littlefield lead, 4-3.
Olmos laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown to first by Sanchez for the out, as the runner advanced to second on the play. Sepeda hit a chopper back at Sanchez in the circle, who got the out at first to end the inning.
Brookelyn and Katelyn Gau drew back-to-back walks to lead off the third inning for the Lady Cats and the runners advanced on a past ball to Garcia, before she hit a shot back at Sepeda in the circle, who got the out at first, as Brookelyn Gau scored and Katelyn Gau moved over to third to make the score, 5-3.
Julie Rodriguez hit a sacrifice grounder to Olmos at shortstop, who got the out at first, as Katelyn Gau scored to make the score, 6-3, with two outs. Torres hit a shot back at Sepeda in the circle, who got the out at first to retire the side.
Vasquez flew out to Torres in shallow center field for out number one in the bottom half of the side, but Corrales singled to right field to give the Bobbies a base runner. Perez hit into a fielder’s choice to Garcia at third, who got the force out at second for out number two. Perez took second on a wild pitch, before Marmolejo hit an RBI-single to left-center field and took second on the throw in from Torres, trimming the lead to, 6-4.
The next batter hit a slow roller down the third-base line, as the runners were safe everywhere, but Sanchez got Garcia to ground out to third to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Logan singled up the middle, as Zoe Garcia came on as the courtesy runner. She took second on a past ball, before Price struck out swinging for out number one. Zoe Garcia too third on a short past ball, before Garza drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Littlefield. Garza broke on a pitch to Sanchez, and Dimmitt attempting a fake throw down, threw the ball past Olmos at shortstop, allowing Zoe Garcia to score and Garza to advance to third on the play, making the score, 7-4.
Sanchez blasted an RBI-triple to right field to make the score, 8-4. Sanchez scored on a past ball to extend the lead to, 9-4, before Brookelyn Gau struck out looking for out number two. Katelyn Gau singled through the right side and took second on a ball in the dirt, before Malorie Garcia drew a walk to put two runners on for Littlefield.
The runners advanced on a past ball, before Rodriguez hit a two-RBI triple past the center fielder to push their lead out to, 11-4. Torres followed it up with an RBI-double to the right field fence to stretch the lead to, 12-4. Torres would scored on a wild pitch to make the score, 13-4, before Logan popped up to the second baseman to retire the side.
Sanchez got the Bobbies to go three-up-and-three-down in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Lady Cats added a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, before shutting down the Bobbies in the bottom half of the side to take the victory, 15-4.
Sanchez pitched a complete game for the Lady Cats, earning four strikeouts, while giving up just four runs.
The Lady Cats closed out the regular season on Saturday night in Littlefield against Muleshoe for senior night. Results were not available at press time.