Lady Lions win with late rally

By Anthony Collins

The Lockhart Lady Lions’ softball team had a remarkable, 5-4, victory over Cedar Park during Friday night’s game.

Pitcher Dani Valdez, a sophomore, started in the circle for the Lady Lions, pitching four innings and giving up only three hits and four runs while managing one strikeout and allowing just two walks.

Lady Lions Head Coach Manny Espino commended Valdez’s performance, attributing her improvement to a private pitching coach she has been working with over the past couple of weeks. He noted that her fastball has significantly increased to 53 mph, and her breaking ball is now reaching around 28 mph as it crosses the plate.

In the opening inning, the Lions took an early lead as third baseman Genesis Lopez delivered a ground-out RB. However, their lead was short-lived as Cedar Park responded with a four-run rally in the fourth inning.

Emma Betancourt, a junior, entered the game as a relief pitcher in the fifth inning and had an exceptional performance as she shut down Cedar Park’s offense. Betancourt only gave up one hit while in the circle. Additionally, Betancourt showcased her impressive pitching skills by striking out three.

As the game entered the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lady Lions needed baserunners to turn the game around. Thanks to their aggressive tactics on the bases, the Lady Lions showcased their exceptional base-running skills by stealing six bases during the game. This display of speed and patience became instrumental in their four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning. The rally was further solidified by an RBI-single from Gina Nieto, and that’s all that was needed for the win.