The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team came up short on Wednesday on the road against Lamesa, 6-1.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 3-1 in district play.
It was a defensive battle through the first two innings, but in the top of the third inning, Lyric Rios and Kaeleigh Logan drew back-to-back walks, as Alyssa Torres came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Mykenzie Price was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Littlefield, but Cadence Sanchez struck out swinging for out number one.
Bryndle Ray was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike, but the ball was bobbled on the throw home, allowing Rios to score and Torres to advance to third to put the Lady Cats up, 1-0, with two outs. Natalia Sanchez, though, would strike out swinging to retire the side.
In the bottom of the third inning, Cadence Sanchez got Lexi Hernandez to pop up to Alex Hernandez in shallow left field for out number one and got Kaylee Hernandez to line out to Price in center field for out number two. Laila Vazquez doubled off of the left-field fence for Lamesa, as De’Audra Flores came on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. Cadence Sanchez would recover, as she got Amaya Vasquez to ground out to Ray at shortstop to end the inning.
The Lady Cats were retired in order in the top of the fourth inning, and in the bottom of the fourth, Zoey Sifuentes tied the game with one swing of the bat, as she ripped a solo homerun over the left-center field fence, making the score, 1-1. The Lady Cats bounced back, as Cadence Sanchez got Emily Capetillo to fly out to Price in left-center field for out number one.
Kayleigh Sanchez popped up to Cadence Sanchez in front of the plate and Aliyah Morales was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike to end the inning.
The game remained dead-locked until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Chrisalyan Uresti and Eternity Cortez both bunted their way on base safely to lead off the inning for Lamesa. Kaylee Hernandez hit a shot off of the glove of Cadence Sanchez in the circle to Ray at shortstop, who flipped it to Natalia Sanchez at second base for the force out, leaving runners on the corners with one out.
Laila Vasquez hit a sacrifice fly ball to Alex Hernandez in left field allowing a run to tag up and score from third to make the score, 2-1, with two outs. Amaya Vasquez singled through the left side and Sifuentes followed it up with a three-run homerun over the leftfield fence to extend their lead to, 5-1. Capetillo drew a walk, but Kayleigh Sanchez flew out to Alex Hernandez in left field to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth inning, Ray hit a grounder to Sifuentes at shortstop, but the throw to first was dropped to give Littlefield a base runner. Ray stole second on a pitch and Natalia Sanchez drew a walk, but Ray got into a rundown between third and second, and was awarded third base on an obstruction call. However, Taryn Golden, Alex Hernandez and Myli Hernandez all struck out swinging to retire the side.
Natalia Sanchez relieved Cadence Sanchez in the circle to begin the sixth inning, as she gave up a lead off walk to Morales. She got Uresti to strike out swinging for out number one and got Lexi Hernandez to strike out looking for out number two. Morales took second on a past ball, before Kaylee Hernandez ripped an RBIdouble over third base to stretch their lead to, 6-1. Laila Vasquez made it to first on a dropped third strike but was tagged out in a rundown to end the inning, trying to get the run in from third base.
In the top of the seventh, Rios and Logan both struck out looking to lead things off, but Price singled off the glove of Laila Vasquez in the circle to give the Lady Cats a base runner. Cadence Sanchez, though, lined out to left field to end the game, as the Lady Cats fell to Lamesa in their first meeting of the season, 6-1.
Cadence Sanchez pitched five innings for the Lady Cats giving up two walks and five runs, while earning one strike out. Natalia Sanchez pitched one inning, giving up one walk and one run, while earning three punch outs.
The Lady Cats were at Muleshoe on Tuesday to begin the second round of district play. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Saturday with a road game against Brownfield.
First pitch is scheduled for noon.