Marble Falls softball beats Canyon Lake
CAPTION: Jocelyn Suarez plays shortstop and catcher for the Lady Mustangs. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School softball team run-ruled Fischer Canyon Lake 16-6 Feb. 18 in a contest that began at 4:30 p.m.
It didn’t take long for the Lady Mustangs (7-1) to end the contest thanks to some timely hitting.
The Lady Hawks took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Lady Mustangs responded with 9 runs. When Canyon Lake trimmed the deficit to 9-6 in the third inning, Marble Falls responded again. This time the Lady Mustangs put up 4 runs and added 3 more in the fourth inning.
Marble Falls had 8 hits during the contest.
Callie Phillips led with 4 RBI followed by Cheyenne Thompson with 3 and Kylie Robertson and Khloe Hollingsworth each had 2.
“(The Lady Hawks) hit a bomb. One was a solo homer,” Lady Mustangs head coach Alex Lozoya said of the first inning. “Then they had a two-run (homer) in the third. (My) girls did a good job of not being discouraged at the plate. We had some clutch hits. It was good for the kids to respond when they punched us in the mouth.”
He noted it could have been more. The Lady Mustangs had bases loaded but didn’t get the runs they wanted. Still, instead of being disheartened, they went to work on defense and then added the runs in the next inning.
“Even that didn’t deflate us,” Lozoya said of the bases loaded inning. “It doesn’t look spectacular, but the kids are finding ways to get on base and handing it off to the next batter.”
Meanwhile, freshman pitcher Brooklyn Damico was credited with the win. She allowed 4 earned runs off 8 hits without giving up a walk. Phillips then relieved her and “shut the door,” the coach said.
“Brooklyn did a great job with the elements,” he said.
Hollingsworth and Jocelyn Suarez were named the players of the game. Hollingsworth also was a menace defensively as she got to balls in left field and made accurate throws to infielders to complete plays. Suarez excelled as the leadoff batter with 2 hits and split time at shortstop and at catcher.
“You don’t see a drop-off on defense,” Lozoya said. “That’s getting to be very contagious.”
As happy as he is about the start to the season, Lozoya said he’s curious to see his players against Lago Vista, a team that won both head-to-head matchups a year ago in District 24-4A play. Realignment has put the two programs in different districts, but the coaches wanted to meet in a non-district contest.
“We’re looking forward to next Tuesday at their place at 6 p.m.,” he said.
Marble Falls is scheduled to compete in the Austin Hyde Park tournament this weekend. But because of weather, tournament officials aren’t sure the event is happening.
