Lady cat softball opens season with win

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity softball team won their season- opener on Saturday over Lubbock Christian,17-3, in 4.5 innings.

With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 1-0 overall on the year.

In the top of the first inning, W. Blacklock doubled on a throwing error in from center fielder, Myli Hernandez to open the game for LCHS, but Dahlstrom popped up a bunt that was caught by senior catcher, Taryn Golden for out number one. McKown ripped an RBIdouble into left field to put LCHS up, 1-0, but the Lady Cats would recover, as junior pitcher, Natalia Sanchez, got M. Blacklock to pop up to Brinley Acevedo at second base and she got Pruitt to ground out to Acevedo to retire the side.

Bryndle Ray and Alyssa Torres drew back-to-back walks to give the Lady Cats their first two base runners of the season and Golden hit an RBI single down the thirdbase line that hopped the glove of Pruitt, tying the game, 1-1. Sanchez drew a walk to load the bases, and Brianna Aleman followed it up with a three-RBI double to right field, pushing their lead to, 4-1.

Aleman stole third on a dropped throw by Pruitt at third base from the catcher, W. Blacklock and Lyric Rios kept the rally going with an RBI-triple to left field; she was thrown out trying to score on the play, making the score, 5-1, with one out. Maggie McNeese singled past third base, but on the next play, she was thrown out at third by the catcher for out number two. Hernandez would strike out looking to end the inning.

Sanchez got the Lady Eagles to go down one, two, three in the top of the second inning, as Marquette chopped out to Sanchez in the circle, Shaw struck out swinging, and Daniel struck out looking to retire the side.

Acevedo led off the bottom half of the inning with a single off of the leg of the pitcher. W. Blacklock would replace, M. Blacklock in the circle, as M. Blacklock moved to shortstop and McKown moved behind the plate. Ray flew out to deep center field for out number one, but Torres was hit by a pitch and Golden singled to right field to drive in a run, pushing their lead to, 6-1.

Sanchez kept it going with an RBI-double over the right fielder, Sutterfield, stretching their lead to, 7-1, but Aleman struck out looking for out number two. Rios ripped a two-RBI triple down the third-base line to make the score, 9-1, but McNeese lined out to M. Blacklock at shortstop to end the inning.

In the top of the third inning, Sanchez got the lead-off batter Sutterfield to strike out looking, but as the line up turned back over to the top, W. Blacklock singled up the middle to give LCHS a base runner. Dahlstrom hit a sacrifice grounder to Rios at first, who stepped on the bag for the out, as W. Blacklock moved over to second on the play with two outs.

McKown knocked a base hit into left field for an RBI and advanced to second on the throw home from Torres, trimming the lead to, 9-2. M. Blacklock followed it up with an RBI-double to center field to make the score, 9-3, but Pruitt grounded out to Sanchez in the circle to end the rally, taking the game to the bottom of the third inning.

Hernandez grounded out to third to open the bottom half of the third inning, but Acevedo doubled to left field and Ray drew a walk, before Torres drove in a run with a base hit to right center field, pushing their lead to, 10-3. Golden walked to load the bases, but Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Ray to tagup and score from third, stretching their lead to, 11-3. Aleman, though, would ground out to W. Blacklock in the circle to end the inning for the Lady Cats.

Marquette grounded out to Rios at first base to open the fourth inning, but Shaw singled off the glove of Ray at shortstop on a line drive and Daniel singled to right field, putting runners on first and second with one out. They would be left stranded, as Sutterfield struck out swinging and W. Blacklock flew out to Torres in left field to retire the side.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Rios hit a grounder to Pruitt at third base, but a throwing error to first landed Rios on third with a leadoff triple. McNeese struck out swinging for out number one, but Hernandez drove in a run with a base hit to center field, pushing the lead to, 12-3.

Hernandez took second on a past ball, and Acevedo was hit by a pitch on the next play, putting runners on first and second for Littlefield with one out. Ray would clear the bases with a three-run homerun to left field, stretching their lead to, 15-3. Torres flew out to center field for out number two, but Golden hit a one-hopper to shortstop and was able to beat it out to give the Lady Cats a runner.

The courtesy runner, Taylin Gomez took second on a past ball, before Sanchez was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on again for Littlefield. Aleman had a fly ball fall in right field for a two-RBI double to stretch the lead to, 17-3, but Mackenzie Flores, who pinch hit for Rios, would strike out swinging to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Dahlstrom grounded out to Gomez at shortstop for out number one, but McKown singled up the middle to give LCHS a base runner, however, M. Blacklock would line out to Rios at first, who stepped on the bag for the double play to end the game.

Sanchez pitched a complete game for the Lady Cats throwing 4.5 innings, giving up three runs, while earning four strikeouts. the Lady Cats hosted Levelland on Monday. They will be in the Tahoka Tournament Thursday through Saturday.