Lady Stangs lose opener on a walk-off at Merkel

MERKEL — When two of the Big Country area’s best softball teams met in season openers Tuesday, the final outcome came down to a single hit in a 3-3 game in the bottom of the seventh.

After a Sweetwater infield error put a Merkel runner at first base with one out, the next hitter lined an RBI hit down the third base line to bring in the winning run in a 4-3 victory.

Neither team was separated by more than one run in the game though 3A Merkel led 4A Sweetwater for the majority of the contest. The Lady Mustangs tied it at 2-2 and 3-3 and nearly went up in the top of the seventh, when Kendall Daniel tripled with two outs but was called out at home trying to score.

In the bottom of the first Merkel went up 2-1 after

Bethanee Rodriguez hit a leadoff triple and scored on a passed ball to give Sweetwater the early lead. It was still 2-1 until the fifth when Jenika Fuentes tied it at 2-2 with a solo home run over the center field fence.

Sweetwater tied it at 3-3 in the sixth when leadoff hitter Mabry Weaver circled the bases due to a dropped fly ball by the right fielder for Merkel.

Laryssa Garcia tripled following Weaver’s run but the next three batters were retired to end the inning and keep the game tied.

Merkel had a chance to go up 3-1 after a leadoff double in the third inning, but a 9-4-5 double play that began on a fly ball out ended the threat. Right fielder Kaitlin Vera, after making the catch, quickly relayed it to second baseman Weaver who threw to Shelby Dent at third base to nail Merkel’s lead runner and complete the double play.

Merkel also failed to score in the fourth after another leadoff double as Mikayla Ashley, Sweetwater’s pitcher, induced an infield flyball and two strikeouts to end the inning.

In the second inning, Sweetwater used a walk, single and infield error to load the bases but a strikeout ended the threat.

The game marked the debut of Lacy Gregory as the new head softball coach for Sweetwater.

“Competing against good teams like Merkel will prepare us for tough matchups later on in the season,” she said after the game. “Our kids played hard, but ultimately (Merkel was) able to capitalize on our mistakes.”

Sweetwater will play in a three-day tournament starting Thursday at Celina and is at Jim Ned next Tuesday.