The Littlefield Lady Cats’ high school softball team took down the Sudan Nettes, 19-5, in an elimination game on Thursday night to advance to the Tournament Championship on Friday against Slaton.
The Lady Cats had a big first inning, as Julie Rodriguez led things off with a single over first. Cadence hit an RBI-triple to the left-center field fence to get the Lady Cats on the board, 1-0, and Kaeleigh Logan followed it up with an RBI-single up the middle to stretch their lead to, 2-0.
Natalia Sancehz was hit by a pitch and Alex Hernandez drew a walk, as Logan took third to load the bases for Littlefield. Hernandez took second on a pitch, before Vivika Ballejo single on a fielder’s choice to Kambry Tolbert at shortstop, as Logan scored to make the score, 3-0. Hernandez scored on a past ball to push their lead to, 4-0, before Abigail Ybarbo drew a walk to reload the bases.
Briann Mckinnerney hit a two-RBI single through the right side; she took second on the throw home, as a third run scored to extend their lead to, 7-0. Gabby singled on an error by Tolbert at shortstop, but Rodriguez popped up to Montes at second for out number one. Cadence Sanchez lined out to Tolbert at shortstop for out number two, but Logan hit an RBI-single to right field, moving Rodriguez over to third, as the lead was stretched to, 8-0.
Hernandez hit into a fielder’s choice to third, as Sudan got the force out at third to retire the side.
Littlefield recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the first inning, as Tolbert grounded out to Natalia Sanchez in the circle and Montes grounded out to Cadence Sanchez at shortstop, but Victoria Leal doubled to left-center field and Liz Sital hit a slow roller to Cadence Sanchez who didn’t have a play at first, putting runners on the corners for the Nettes.
Angelina Thorn drew a walk to load the bases for Sudan, but Kinley Coker struck out looking to end the inning.
Natalia Sanchez got the second inning going with a single through the right side for Littlefield. Ballejo drew a walk and Ybarbo laid down a bunt to load the bases. Mckinnerney walked in a run to extend the score to, 9-0, and two more runs scored on a past ball and a bad throw back to the pitcher from Sital, stretching the Littlefield lead to, 11-0, before Gabby drew a walk.
Rodriguez hit an RBI-single to right field, but Cadence Sanchez struck out looking for out number one. Logan hit a two-RBI single to left-center field to push their lead to, 14-0, but Hernandez laid down a bunt that was fielded by Edette Herrera charging from third, as she got the out at first for out number two. Natalia Sanchez hit a hard single to the left side, but Ballejo hit a grounded up the middle, as Natalia Sanchez was tagged out by Montes at second base to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the second inning, Cannon was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike for out number one, but Flores doubled over third to give the Nettes a base runner. Flores took third on a ball in the dirt and Edette hit a sacrifice grounder to Bri Castillo at second base, trimming the lead to, 14-1. Tolbert, though, would ground out to Natalia Sanchez in the circle to end the inning.
Montes relieved Thorn in the circle to begin the third inning for Sudan, as Ybarbo was hit by a pitch to give Littlefield a base runner. McKinnerney laid down a bunt to move the runner, but Sital fielded it and got the out at first for out number one. Ybarbo took third on a past ball, before Alexis Rios struck out swinging for out number two. Rodriguez lined out to Leal at second to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the side, Montes was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike and Leal popped up to Gabby on home plate for out number two. Sital singled up the middle and took second on a pitch before taking third and scoring on errors by Littlefield to make the score, 14-2. Thorn, though, grounded out to Natalia Sanchez in the circle to end the inning.
Bri Castillo popped up to Sital behind the plate to begin the fourth inning, but Jazmin Patton was hit by a pitch to give Littlefield a base runner. Hernandez was hit by a pitch and Natalia Sancehz walked to load the bases and Patton scored on a past ball to make the score, 15-2. Ballejo hit a fielder’s choice to Tolbert at shortstop for an RBI-single, stretching their lead to, 16-2.
Ybarbo walked to load the bases and McKinnerney walked in a run to make the score, 17-2. Ballejo scored on a past ball to make the score, 18-2, but Rios struck out looking for the second out of the inning. Rodriguez hit an RBI-single to center field to extend the lead to 19-5, before Castillo struck out swinging to end the inning.
Coker had a single drop in front of first to begin the home half of the fourth inning, but Erica Herrera struck out swinging and Flores struck out looking for out number two. Coker took second on a past ball, before Edette hit an RBIsingle past first to trim the lead to, 19-3.
Tolbert hit a two-run inside of the park homerun to right-center field to cut the lead to, 19-5, but Montes struck out swinging to end the game.
Littlefield went on to take the contest, 19-5, to advance to the championship game.