The Lady Cats’ softball team batted around in two innings and collected fifteen hits in a 15-4 ten-run rule victory over Lovejoy Thursday (April 26) at Lovejoy that gave the Lady Cats a 1-0 lead in a best two out of three bi-district series. Game two is Friday at 7 p.m. at Lady Cat Park.
Things did not start out all that well for the Lady Cats as they left the bases loaded in the first inning without scoring a run. Lovejoy then took a 1-0 lead without getting a hit. A Lovejoy sacrifice fly scored the run after a walk, sacrifice bunt and Lady Cat throwing error. The Lady Cats evened the score with a run in the top of the second. The Lady Cats loaded the bases again in the second on a Macee Hollins walk, an Alyssa Abron single and a Kelsey Wallace walk. Hollins then scored on a wild pitch.
The Lady Cats batted around in the top of the third scoring five runs on only two hits and a Lovejoy error. Brinklee Driver opened the inning with a double that one-hopped the wall in left center field. Nylah Lindley ran for Driver and stole a run for the Lady Cats scoring from third as a ball got away from a Lady Leopards’ fielder. Hollins drove in a run when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Landri Bell hit a big double that drove in two runs. The Lady Cats led 6-1 after the top of the third. Lovejoy answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. They used a walk, two singles, a sacrifice fly and a two-RBI double to plate the runs and cut the Lady Cats lead to 6-4 after three innings. The Lady Cats scored a run in the top of the fourth to go up 7-4. Driver hit another double, Alli Fite singled and Lovejoy committed an error in the inning.
The Lady Cats put the game away with an eight run and seven hit inning in the top of the fifth. Hollins walked, Bell singled and Abron had an RBI single. Wallace was hit by a pitch. Sadie Stroud had an RBI single. Kate Womack drove in two runs with a single. Sierra Smith walked. Hollins drove home a run with a single. Bell singled. Abron’s single scored two runs. When the Lady Cats got Lovejoy out in the bottom of the fifth, the game was called due to the ten run rule.
Bailey Haggerty earned the pitching win allowing six hits and three earned runs over five innings. She walked two and struck out three. Abron drove in three runs and went 3 for 5. Driver and Bell were both 3 for 4. Hollins reached base all four times she batted and scored four runs.
The Lady Cats are now 25-5 for the season.
