L-E falls to Bullard in Game 1
MARSHALL, Texas—The gloomy dark sky foreshadowed the outcome.
Liberty-Eylau was run-ruled by Bullard, 11-1, after six innings in Game 1 of a best-ofthree Class 4A area round playoff series at East Texas Baptist University’s Taylor Field on Thursday.
“Walks and giving up bases hurt us,” Lady Leopards’ head coach Kendra Cullum. “We have preached all year that if our defense makes plays, then we’ll be in games. But we can’t walk people and think that we can always get out of it. I think we hit the ball hard; we hit it right at them. If we continue to hit the ball hard, it’s going to fall.”
Liberty-Eylau’s run came across in the fourth. Tori Foster laced in a 1-run single to center field to score Mariah Coleman, who had walked and stole second base.
Coleman laid down a bunt single in the second, and Kayla Norris had the other Leopard hit with a single to center in the sixth.
Isabella Gunderson tossed six innings, scattered 10 hits, struck out two, walked three, and took the loss.
The Lady Panthers’ Ariel Matula pitched a 3-hitter, walked one, and struck out three.
Bullard took a 1-0 lead after the first. With the bases juiced and one out, Liberty-Eylau third baseman Savannah Phelps fielded a ground ball, touched third and threw to first for the double play.
The Panthers tacked on a run in the third to make it 3-0. L-E failed to respond in the bottom part of the frame.
Bullard capitalized on some Leopard miscues in the fourth to to take a 5-0 lead, and took a 7-1 lead after the fifth.
Ashlyn Seaton belted a 3-run home run in the sixth for the Panthers, and Bullard plated four runs in the frame to go up 11-1. Miscues led to more base runners for the Panthers during the inning.
Liberty-Eylau takes on Bullard in Game 2 today at 5 p.m. back at ETBU’s Taylor Field.