SOFTBALL: Routine plays cost Lady Stangs
POSTED 4-21-2010
PFLUGERVILLE — Going into the contest against Pflugerville Hendrickson Tuesday, the Marble Falls High School softball team knew it was facing two scenarios – win and capture third place in District 25-4A or lose and hope that Hutto would beat Lake Travis to give the Lady Mustangs fourth place in the division.
With the exception of two defensive plays, Marble Falls (4-6) played well enough to win the game.
But two plays to first base allowed the Lady Hawks (5-5) to escape with a 2-1 victory.
IN PHOTO: Shannon Bendas checks where the third baseman is standing to decide how best to touch the bag. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton
Following the game, Marble Falls head coach David Orsag was blunt in his assessment.
“We make the routine plays, we win,” he said.
In the seventh inning, Stephanie Cruz and Jamie Mullins each hit singles for Hendrickson. A fielder’s choice to third base gave Marble Falls the first out.
But Lady Hawk Courtney McCoy hit a sacrifice bunt and reached base when the ball fell out of the baseman’s glove to load the bases.
Kirsten Warner, who went 2 for 4 on the night, recorded the RBI single for the win.
“Throw and catch is all it is,” Orsag said. “Routine plays.”
The Lady Mustangs struck first. Junior Shannon Bendas led off the third inning with an infield single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Payton Peril and to third on a flyball by junior Mackinzee Mayfield. Freshman Alicia Macias hit an RBI single just behind the first baseman, 1-0.
The Lady Hawks tied the game in the fourth inning. Warner led off with a single. After the first out, an infielder threw the ball to first in the dirt, allowing Renee Killingsworth to reach. Stefanie Wozniak recorded a sacrifice bunt. Jen Jordan hit an RBI single just over the head of the second baseman to tie the game, 1-1.
That set up the seventh-inning heroics by Warner.
Marble Falls reached third base in the first, second and sixth innings and failed to score. In all, the Lady Mustangs stranded eight runners, while the Lady Hawks left nine, though three of those were in the final inning. Hendrickson reach third three times as well but capitalized twice.
“We didn’t get hits at the right time,” Orsag said. “We were swinging at first pitches in a couple of innings. But none of that matters.”
That’s because to him, the game was lost in the two plays at first base.
“I thought it was a great ball game,” he said. “If you score five runs, it’s not a good ball game. Both teams played good defense. We made the errors, and we lost.”