Friday, April 19, 2024
Gatesville softball earned a split in games against Waco Connally and Salado and have a 2-2 record with one game remaining in the first round of district play.
The Lady Hornets beat Connally 8-7 thanks to a seventh-inning rally on March 24 then dropped a 4-1 game that was delayed by lightning against league leader Salado on Tuesday.
Through four games, the Lady Hornets occupy third place in the district standings – one spot ahead of Waco La Vega. They traveled to Waco to take on the Lady Pirates on Mar. 31.
Gatesville looked to be staring at a tough district loss against the Lady Cadets as they entered their final at-bat trailing 7-4 before rallying for four runs to win.
The Lady Hornets (16-11, 2-2) needed just six pitches in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to one run. Raylee Glover doubled, then scored on a Madison Hester single to make it 7-5. Hester came home to make it 7-6 when Kinlee Gardner tripled to right field.
After a pop out, Kegan Hunt reached on an error that scored Gardner to make it 7-7. Then, with two outs the Stuard sisters — first Lauren, then Kaitlin – came up with back-to-back singles to load the bases for Grace Carothers.
Carothers was hit on the second pitch to force home Hunt for the game-winning run and the 8-7 win.
The Lady Hornets battled back from multiple deficits against Connally. They trailed 3-0, 3-2, 4-2, 6-4, and 7-4 on the night.
Hester struck out 10 and allowed seven hits and three earned runs. Kallie Featherston picked up the win, striking out two and allowing one earned run in 1-2/3 innings of relief.
Against Salado, the Lady Hornets trailed 4-1 in the seventh and Salado had the bases loaded with one out when lightning delayed the game for close to 90 minutes. When play resumed, Featherston induced an inning-ending double play. In the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Hornets went down in order to close out the game.
Kinlee Gardner had both of the Lady Hornets’ hits on the night against Salado’s standout Brooke McLaurin. McLaurin struck out 15 hitters while pitching, and homered twice.
