The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team closed out their regular season on the road on Thursday, as they fell to the Slaton Tigerettes, 4-2.
With the loss, the Lady Cats finish the regular season with a mark of 15-8 overall, 7-5 in district play.
Amaya McCanick started in the circle for the Lady Cats, pitching 1.1 innings, giving up three hits, five walks and three runs, while striking out one batter. Natalia Sanchez came on in relief duty, pitching 4.2 innings, giving up one hit, three walks, and one unearned run, while striking out three batters.
The Lady Cats came to the plate in the top of the first inning, as Bryndle Ray flew out to Zuri Martinez in leftcenter field for out number one.Alyssa Torres singled to center field for the Lady Cats’ first base runner of the game, but Bri Aleman struck out swinging for out number two, as Torres took second on the pitch.
Torres would take third on a passed ball, before Sanchez flew out to Kaylynn Salazar in left field to retire the side.
McCanick took the circle for Littlefield in the bottom half of the first, as she got Burkelynn Lamberson to fly out to Myli Hernandez in shallow right field for out number one. Martinez and Kamryn Barrera drew back-to-back walks for the Tigerettes and Kolbi McCord ripped an RBIdouble passed Hernandez in right field to make the score, 1-0.
McCanick would bounce back in the circle, as she got Jessleigh Lamberson to strike out looking and she got Isabella Guzman to pop up to Maggie McNeese at first base to end the inning.
The Lady Cats couldn’t get anything going in the top of the second inning, as Guzman got McNeese to pop up to McCord in front of the plate for out number one. McCanick grounded out to Barrera at shortstop for out number two and Cali Saldana pop up to Barrera behind third base to retire the side.
In the home-half of the second, Anelise Luera chopped out to McCanick in the circle for out number one, but Salazar and Adri Gonzales drew back-to-back walks, putting two runners on for Slaton. Burkelynn Lamberson hit into a fielder’s choice to Ray up the middle, but Gonzales’ slide beat Ray to the bag, as Salazar scored on a heads-up play to push their lead to, 4-2.
Martinez singled to right-center field to load the bases and Barrera drew a walk to bring in a run, stretching the lead to, 3-0, as Sanchez relieved McCanick in the circle for Littlefield. Sanchez got McCord to fly out to Hernandez in right field to end the inning.
In the top of the third inning, the Lady Cats were still unable to break through offensively, as Hernandez grounded out to McCord at third for out number one. Hannah Lopez drew a walk, but Ray flew out to Salazar in left field for out number two and Torres popped up to McCord at third base to retire the side.
Sanchez gave up a lead-off walk to Jessleigh Lamberson to begin the bottom half of the third, and Guzman laid down a bunt on the third-base side that was picked up by Aleman, but a low throw to first was dropped by McCanick, as Jessleigh Lamberson advanced to third on the play.
Madison Ortiz took second on a pitch, as Jessleigh Lamberson scored on the throw down to second by Lopez, making the score, 4-0. Ortiz though would be thrown out trying to take third on the play for out number one. Salazar grounded out to Aleman at third base for out number two and Gonzales grounded out to Ray up the middle to end the inning.
Aleman got the fourth inning going with a single to Salazar at second base and she took second on a passed ball, before Sanchez drew a walk, bring Sophia Mata on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. McNeese flew out to Martinez in center field for out number one, but McCanick singled on an error by Barrera at shortstop to load the bases, and Saldana followed it up with an RBI-single through the left side to trim the lead to, 4-1.
Hernandez, though, would line out to Allison Ortiz in right field, who doubled up Saldana at first base to retire the side.
Sanchez and the Lady Cat defense made quick work of the Tigerettes in the bottom of the fourth, as Burkelynn Lamberson flew out to Saldana in center field for out number one and Martinez struck out swinging for out number two. Sanchez got Barrera to fly out to Saldana in center field to end the inning.
The score remained, 4-1, until the top of the seventh inning when McCanick singled on an error by Gonzales at second base. She took second on a passed ball, before Saldana singled through the left side to put runners on first and second with no outs. The runners advanced on a passed ball, before Abby Rodriguez hit a slow roller to Barrera at shortstop, who got the out at first as Saldana advanced to third and McCanick scored, making the score, 4-2.
Lopez, though, would strike out swinging for out number two and Ray lined out to Allison Ortiz in right field to end the game.
The Lady Cats will take on Bushland at Plainview High School on Thursday in the Class 3A-DI Bidistrict round of the softball play-offs.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.