SOFTBALL: A win will give the Lady Mustangs third in district
MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls High School softball team has plenty to play for headed into Friday’s contest against Lampasas.
For starters, the Lady Mustangs (4-4 in District 25-4A) will host the Lady Badgers in a rivalry grudge match.
IN PHOTO: Marble Falls junior Mackinzee Mayfield fouls a ball. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
Lampasas (19-8 overall, 8-0 in district) already beat the Lady Mustangs, 8-1, March 30 without junior pitching ace Taylor Holloman, who was ill before the contest.
Second, Marble Falls is in sole possession of third place, but head coach David Orsag has emphasized to his players the importance of beating the Lady Badgers.
“If we win Friday, we’ll sew up third,” he said. “If we lose Friday, we’ll play Hendrickson for third or fourth unless Lake Travis beats somebody.”
The Lady Mustangs will be very interested in what the rest of the district does.
Lake Travis will travel to face Hendrickson Friday but already lost to the Lady Hawks, 7-1, in the first round.
The Lady Cavs beat the Lady Mustangs, 6-5, to open district play. But Marble Falls returned the favor, 3-2, to split the series, giving the Lady Mustangs a one-game edge headed into the final two games of the regular season.
And finally, Marble Falls is playing in its final home game of the season, which means the program will honor its parents before the start of the contest.
Orsag said his athletes must perform two tasks if they expect to win.
“We can’t give them extra outs in innings,” he said. “We don’t have a chance if we keep giving everybody four or five outs in inning. If we hold them down to zero, we can manufacture a run.”
The other is getting on base.
“We have to learn we have to hit,” the coach said. “We have to get to where we can hit under pressure and string a few together.”
Marble Falls junior pitcher Payton Peril is expected to be in the circle. Her counterpart should be the Lampasas junior lefty, Holloman (8-2), who has an ERA of .10 and has given up only one earned run all season. She has 74 strikeouts to 14 walks.
The Lady Mustangs had a solid practice Wednesday, Orsag said, noting a rah-rah speech was unnecessary.
“We didn’t have to have one Wednesday,” he said.
District 25-4A Standings
Lampasas 8-0
Hutto 6-2
Marble Falls 4-4
Pflugerville Hendrickson 3-5
Lake Travis 3-5
Killeen 0-8