Lady Stangs earn important win against Killeen
POSTED 4-13-2010
KILLEEN — A 13-6 victory against Killeen High Tuesday means the Marble Falls High School softball team is right on course to finish third in District 25-4A.
The Lady Mustangs (4-4 in district) did just enough to ensure a win.
IN PHOTO: Marble Falls junior center fielder Payton Peril puts down a bunt and beats the throw to first. Courtesy photo
Now they can take aim at league leader Lampasas, when the Lady Badgers come to Scearce Softball Field, 2101 Mustang Drive, 7 p.m. Friday.
“We had to have a win, and we got that,” head coach David Orsag said. “But we can’t (make mistakes) Friday, or it’ll be a short game. We play like that Friday, and we’ll be home quick.”
Up until the fifth inning, the Lady Mustangs were in control of the contest.
The bats came alive in the second inning. Junior Payton Peril led off with a single then stole second. A fielding error allowed freshman Abby Henry to reach first and Peril to go home. Freshmen Alicia Macias and Catie Whitecotton and junior Allison Bendas each walked. Junior Mattie Counts picked up an RBI. Freshman Hailey Wooten and junior Shannon Bendas each hit singles. Junior Mackinzee Mayfield hit a 2 RBI single to give the Lady Mustangs a 6-0 lead.
Marble Falls added two runs in the third, four in the fourth, and one in the sixth.
Killeen scored three runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Pitcher Peril struck out the last batter she faced in the seventh, and the game ended when catcher Mayfield gunned down a runner trying to steal second. It marked the second time she was able to get a runner out at second.
Orsag credited Killeen for not getting run-ruled by not allowing the Lady Mustangs to score 15 runs in five innings. Marble Falls had a 12-0 lead headed into the decisive inning.
But the Lady Roos battled back and recorded more hits (11) than the Lady Mustangs (9), all unofficial.
The coach said he thought that was a sign of one team not closing out the opponent and the other squad taking some pride in playing tougher.
“We have to learn to put teams away,” he said. “We don’t know how to finish a ball game. We have enough juniors. They should know how to do that stuff.”
The Lady Mustangs committed baserunning errors and mental errors by holding the ball too long and not knowing what to do with it as the Lady Roos laid down bunts.
Orsag was content with the plate production.
“We hit the ball well,” he said. “We just didn’t hit the ball hard. We have to learn to hit the ball better.”
Peril, who had been ill Monday, pitched well, Orsag said. She recorded five strikeouts and hit two by pitch.
“Payton battled,” he said.