L-E girls outhit Maud
Hitting is contagious. Liberty-Eylau racked up 15 hits as it run-ruled Maud, 19-3, on Leopard Field at H.E. Markham Park on Monday.
“I think that sometimes we lose our focus, but overall I was proud of our hitting performance,” Lady Leopard head coach Kendra Cullum said. “Isabella (Gunderson) is getting much better. We have asked her to focus on two-strike counts, and she is progressing.”
Gunderson pitched four innings, allowed two runs on four hits, earned the win, and struck out three for Liberty-Eylau.
The Lady Cardinals’ Madalyn Lee led off the second with a double to left center and took third on a wild pitch with nobody out. But Maud failed to get her home and the Leopards got out of the inning unscathed.
Keeley Norris started off with a bunt single for L-E, stole second, and took third on a throwing error. Keeley Norris scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. Mariah Coleman walked and Kayla Norris had a bunt single down the third-base line to put two on with no outs.
Makyala Power belted a 2-run triple down the right field line to make it 2-0 in favor of the Leopards. Gunderson reached on an error as another run scored, and teammate Savannah Phleps laced in a 1-run double to make it 5-0.
With one out, Brianna Barnette reached on an error for the Cardinals in the third and advanced to second
when Kaitlin Conway bunted on safely. Allie Houchens walked to load the bases, and Barnette stole home while the Leopards were not paying attention to make it 5-1.
Lee hit a Texas Leaguer over third base to score Conway to inch Maud closer, 5-2.
Keely Norris punched in a double to lead off L-E’s seven-run fourth inning. Coleman followed with a one-run single up the middle to increase the Leopards’ lead to four runs.
Kayla Norris grounded out to third, but got an RBI to make it 7-2. Power singled deep in the hole at short as another run scored for L-E. Gunderson popped a onerun single into left field to give the Leopards an 9-2 lead after Power had scored on a wild pitch.
Phelps drove in another L-E run with a double to left field. Tyrah Venable singled with one out and stole second base. Tori Foster landed safely on first to put runners at second and first with two outs. McKenzye Williamson was hit by a pitch to juice the bases. Keeley Norris walloped a three-run triple to left center to make it 13-2 after three frames.
Maud was retired in order in the top of the fourth.
A hit batsman and a pair of walks loaded the bases for the Leopards in the bottom of the fourth. Venable hit an RBI single up the middle, and Foster followed as she hit an RBI single to shallow left to make it 15-2. Venable scored on a wild pitch to make it 16-2.
Foster laced in an RBI single for L-E to make it 17-2, and later two more runs scored with the bases loaded on a walk and an error.
Barnette walked to start off Maud’s fifth frame, and Kaitlin Conway hit into a fielder’s choice. Conway stole second and landed on third after a wild pitch. Madalyn Lee hit an RBI single to left center to score Conway for the final score of 19-3.
Maud 002 01 — 3 5 3 Liberty-Eylau 057 7x — 19 15 1 Allie Houchens, Kaitlin Conway (3), Haley Yates, Conway (4) and Madalyn Lee. Isabella Gunderson, Shelby Ryther (5), and Savannah Phelps. WP-Gunderson. LP-Houchens.