Lady Lions take down undefeated Canyon 6-5

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

Despite the musical theme from “Rocky” blaring through the Lady Lion Field speakers and a crowd of fans, friends and families screaming and cheering them to victory, the Lady Lions remained calm and focused, taking no prisoners as they earned a 6-5 victory over the undefeated New Braunfels Canyon Lady Cougars on Friday, April 11

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In what turned out to be one of the best softball games of the season, the Lady Lions spoiled Canyon’s 11-0 winning streak, finishing the nail-biter with a solid hit to left field that sent one Lady Lion to home plate, and the team to the playoffs.
At the top of the seventh inning with the score tied at 5-5, Chelsy Martinez made her way to the plate and whacked the ball to right field, allowing Janie Juarez to score the winning run after a sloppy throw from the Lady Cougars’ right fielder missed the catcher.
Friday was “Pack the Park” night at the Lady Lion Softball Field, and the support of the community, as much as the discipline and excellent play displayed by the team, were responsible for the victory. The community truly delivered for the Lady Lions, and their positive energy and loud, boisterous cheering kept the team in high spirits until the end of the game.
Both of the teams needed the victory, but the Lady Lions showed they wanted it more, maintaining their home-field winning streak and putting a chink in the Lady Cougars’ season record.
The Lady Lions jumped ahead in the first inning, when Brandy Stacks led off with a stand-up double. Veronica Escobedo was granted first on a hit-by-pitch. Juarez hit a single, bringing Stacks Escobedo across the plate. The Lady Lions added another run in the second and two in the fifth.
During the fifth inning, the Lady Cougars tied the score at five, and the score remained unchanged through the sixth.
At the bottom of the seventh, the home crowd got rowdy. Canyon coaches got so flustered by the excitement, and asked umpires to tell the Lockhart fans not to take pictures, because the flash was blinding their batters.
The cheering got louder, helping to drive the final nail in the coffin for Canyon. Juarez led off the inning with a single. Taylor Boedecker reached first on fielder’s choice as the Lady Cougars attempted to tag Juarez out at second. With runners on first and second base and no outs, Martinez stepped into the batters box and simply lined the first pitch out to right center for the game winning RBI.
Boedecker was fierce in the circle, keeping the Lady Cougars off balance and in check for most of the night.
Juarez and Boedecker led the Lady Lions at the plate, both going 2-3. Boedecker’s double in the fifth brought in two RBIs, giving Lockhart a 5-2 lead.
Kassie Gaddis, who got a few bloody scrapes on the field, was on fire, going 2-2 with an RBI in the second. Stacks, Martinez and Escobedo each had doubles. Jamie Schulle, Amanda Capello and Zaida Hager each had a single.
Outstanding defensive plays came from Hager, Escobedo, Capello and Karoline Pfefferkorn
“It was just two great teams going after it,” Coach Lisa Cone said. “Our girls wanted a win and they showed how much they did tonight.”
Both teams had two errors and some trouble executing with runners in scoring position. Lockhart left eight runners on base and Canyon left six. Lockhart had 12 hits to Canyon’s ten.
Lockhart is holding on tight to second place, while Canyon still controls first.
The Lady Lions are now 25-5 and 10-2 in district.
“The coaches and players would like to thank all the fans for their support on Friday night,” Cone said. “It was an amazing atmosphere and truly helped the ladies to an awesome victory.”
The Lady Lions played the Steele Lady Knights at Steele on Tuesday, April 15 and will play their last game of the regular season against the Clemens Lady Buffaloes at Clemens on Friday, April 18.
Check next week’s Post-Register for scores and highlights.
See you at the game.
agarza@post-register.com