Give the Lady Cats’ softball team credit for not giving up but Lovejoy, the #8 ranked team in Class 5A, put together a sold evening of hitting and aggressive base runner to take a 17-7 win in game one of a bi-district best two out of three series at Lovejoy Thursday evening. Lovejoy outhit the Lady Cats 13 to 8. The Lady Leopards also swiped eight bases.
The Lady Cats got the game’s first run as Sadie Stroud hit a solo home run in the top of the second inning. Lovejoy tied the score in the bottom of the inning with a homer of their own. The Lady Cats went back into the lead with a run in the top of the third. Hannah Crowson single, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Brinklee Driver double. The Lady Leopards batted around in the bottom of the third scoring six runs on four hits plus three walks and a Lady Cat error. Lovejoy led 7-2 after three innings.
The Lady Cats reduced the deficit with two more runs in the top of the fourth. Stroud walked and then scored on Kelsey Wallace’s triple. Wallace came home on a wild pitch. Lovejoy’s lead was now just 7-4. Lovejoy batted around in the bottom of the fourth scoring six more runs on four hits plus a hit batter, one walk and a Lady Cat error. The Lady Leopards now led, 13-4 after four innings.
Once again the Lady Cats rallied scoring twice in the top of the fifth. Alyssa Abron walked, Crowson singled and Stroud drove home two runs with a double. The Lady Cats now trailed, 13-6. Lovejoy got two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth and they led 15-6. The Lady Cats got one more run in the top of the sixth on a Wallace home run. Lovejoy now led 15-7. The Lady Leopards used a walk and three straight hits to end the game at 17-7 due to the ten run rule.
Alli Fite took the pitching loss working the first five innings against Lovejoy allowing 15 runs on ten hits. She walked six and struck out four. Cheslee Roberts pitched the sixth allowing two runs on three hits and a walk.
After the game, Lovejoy presented the Lady Cats with some gifts to encourage them after the very hard week they have had.
Lovejoy is now 26-5 for the season and the Lady Cats are 22-8. Game two will be at Lady Cat Park Friday at 7:30 p.m. Game three, if necessary, will be at Royse City at noon on Saturday.
