The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team won a thriller in Muleshoe on Saturday, taking down the Lady Mules, 19-18.
With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 3-1 in district play.
Amaya McCanick started in the circle for the Lady Cats, pitching 4.1 innings, giving up eight hits, one walk and 13 runs, six earned, while earning one strike out. Maggie McNeese pitched 2.2 innings in relief, giving up four hits, one walk and five runs, four earned, while earning two strikeouts.
In the top of the first inning, Bryndle Ray led things off with a triple, before Sophia Mata struck out swinging for out number one. Isaihla Garza singled on a line drive to left field to drive in a run, putting the Lady Cats in front, 1-0. McNeese kept it going with a double to put two runners in scoring position for Littlefield.
Garza scored on a wild pitch, as McNeese advanced to third to make the score, 2- 0, before McCanick struck out swinging for out number two. Bri Aleman singled to right field to bring in McNeese, making the score, 3-0. Hannah Lopez would strike out swinging to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Addilene Blanco popped up to McNeese at first base for out number one, but Zoe Bustillos was hit by a pitch to give the Lady Mules a base runner. Melanie Martens reached on an error by Aleman at third base and Maddie Anzaldua singled up the middle to load the bases for Muleshoe.
Adalee Sanchez popped up to McNeese at first base for out number two, but Dylynn Villanueva roped a two-RBI double over third base to tie the game, 3-3, as Alyssa Garcia came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Yazlynn Ramirez, though, would fly out to Peyton Galvan in right field to end the inning.
Abby Rodriguez got the Lady Cats going in the top of the second inning with a double to left field and Tailyn Gomez laid down a bunt, beating the throw to first to put runners on the corners with no outs. Gomez took second on a pitch, before Ray ripped an RBI-double to the left-field fence, putting Littlefield back in front, 4-3.
Mata followed it up with a two-RBI triple to rightcenter field, stretching their lead to, 6-3, and Garza drew a walk to put a runner on for Littlefield. Azarah Torres relieved Bustillos in the circle for Muleshoe. Garza stole second on a pitch, before McNeese drew a walk to load the bases, but McCanick and Aleman both struck out swinging for two outs.
Lopez blasted a three-RBI double to left-center field to extend their lead to, 9- 3, before Rodriguez struck out swinging to retire the side.
The Lady Cats kept the Lady Mules quiet in the bottom of the second inning, as McCanick got Madison Ortega to hit a short fly to Garza in shallow right field for out number one. Aaliyah Dominguez was hit by a pitch to give Muleshoe a base runner and Blanco singled on a fly ball to right field that was missed by Galvan, putting runners at first and second with one out.
Bustillos had a short fly fall behind Aleman at third, that was picked up by Ray who tagged out Blanco and Bustillos for the double play to end the inning.
The Lady Cats were kept off the board in the top of the third inning, and in the bottom half, Martens singled down the left-field line to lead things off and Anzaldua singled to rightcenter field to put runners on the corners for Muleshoe. Sanchez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Villanueva drove in a run with a single to Ray at shortstop, who made a throwing error to first allowing an extra run to score, making the score, 9-5, with runners on second and third.
Ramirez walked to load the bases, and Ortega drove in a run with a single to second base on an error by Garza, trimming the lead to, 9- 6. Dominguez hit a grounder to McNeese at first, Garza was there for the back-up as she flipped it to McNeese on the bag for out number one, as Muleshoe cut the lead to, 97. Blanco hit a sacrifice fly ball to Mata in center field, as the runner at third tagged up and scored, slicing the lead to, 9-8.
Bustillos had an RBIdouble fall between Ray and Gomez in left field, tying the game, 9-9, before Martens flew out to Galvan in right field to end the inning.
McCanick opened the forth inning with a triple to left field, but Aleman popped up to Dominguez in foul territory at third base and Lopez struck out looking for out number two. Rodriguez drew a walk, as London Taylor came on as the courtesy runner, but Gomez struck out swinging to retire the side.
The score remained deadlocked at, 9-9, until the bottom of the fifth inning, when McCanick hit Ramirez and Ortega to put two runners on for the Lady Mules. She got Garcia to strike out swinging for out number one, but Blanco ripped a two-RBI double to left-center field; she took third on an overthrow to the plate, putting Muleshoe in front, 11-9.
Bustillos followed it up with an RBI-double to leftcenter field, making the score, 12-9, as McNeese relieved McCanick in the circle for Littlefield. Martens knocked an RBIdouble to left field to push the Muleshoe lead to, 13-9, and Anzaldua singled through the left side to bring in a run, making the score, 14-9. Sanchez flew out to Garza in shallow center field for out number two, but Villanueva was hit by a pitch.
Ramirez followed it up with a two-RBI triple that bounced off the bag at third base, making the score, 169. Torres walked to put runners on the corners, and Garcia was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Blanco hit into a fielder’s choice to Aleman at third base who stepped on third for the force out to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth, McCanick hit a short fly to Blanco at second base that was dropped to give the Lady Cats a base runner. Taylor laid down a bunt that was fielded by Dominguez, who threw to first but there was nobody covering the bag, allowing Taylor to take second and McCanick to advance to third on the play.
Lopez roped a two-RBI double to the left-field fence and she took third on an overthrow, as they cut Muleshoe’s lead to, 16-11. Abby Rodriguez walked to put runners on the corners, but Lopez was back picked by the catcher at third base for out number one, as Abby Rodriguez advanced to second on the play. Janella Rodriguez hit a shot to Dominguez at third base, and a high throw to first allowed Abby Rodriguez to score, and Janella Rodriguez took second on the throw home with the lead cut to, 16-12.
Ray kept it going with an RBI-triple to left-center field and Mata followed it up with an RBI-double to left-center field, slicing the lead to, 16-14. Garza hit a sacrifice grounder to Ramirez at shortstop, who got the out at first, as Mata adavanced to third with two outs. McNeese hit a shot to left-center field for an RBIdouble and McCanick followed it up with an RBIdouble to center field to tie the game, 16-16. Taylor grounded out to Blanco at second base to end the inning.
In the home-half of the sixth, McNeese got Bustillos to ground out to her in the circle for out number one, but Martens followed it up with a solo homerun to left field to put Muleshoe back in front, 1716. Anzaldua hit a shot deep in the hole to Ray at shortstop, but she had no play at first, as the Lady Mules got a runner aboard.
Sanchez hit a shot to Ray at shortstop that took a bad hop, leaving runners on first and second with one out. The runners advanced on a passed ball and Villanueva hit a sacrifice fly to Galvan in center field, as Anzaldua tagged up and scored from third, making the score, 1816, with two outs. McNeese would get Ramirez to strike out looking to end the inning.
Lopez led off the top of the seventh with a solo homerun to center field to make it a one-run game, 18--17, but Abby Rodriguez popped up to Blanco at second base for out number one. Gomez singled past Villanueva at first base, and Ray followed it up with a two-run homerun to left field, putting the Lady Cats on top, 19-18.
Mata flew out to Sanchez in deep center field for out number two, but Garza doubled over Bustillos in left field to give the Lady Cats a runner. However, McNeese would fly out to deep right field to retire the side.
McNeese got Ortega to strike out looking for out number one in the bottom of the seventh and Dominguez flew out to Taylor in right field for out number two. Blanco hit a chopper to McNeese in the circle, who got the out at first to end the game, as the Lady Cats prevailed, 19-18.
The Lady Cats hosted Roosevelt Monday afternoon. Results were not available at press time. They will be back in action next Tuesday, when they travel to Slaton for their first meeting with the Tigerettes.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.