Lady Patriots win one, lose two at Bearcat Classic
Three back-to-back-to-back games in one day was enough for the Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots softball team on Saturday, a short-handed P-W team with several players out for spring break.
Playing in the Bearcat Blast three game guarantee tournament held at Jonesboro, the Lady Patriots finished 1-2 on a cold, windy day that probably felt more like football season than softball.
Facing Jonesboro Westside in the first game, the Lady Patriots took a hard 0-2 loss, after the Lady Patriots had tied the game at 2-2 and before Westside put together a big inning, aided by unforced errors.
Hannah Hooker pitched the entire game.
In the second game, the Lady Patriots took on Potosi, Mo. and quickly taking a 1-0 lead. Potosi took the lead with a five-run third inning. Trying to answer, Hooker grounded out to short, Erica Odle's ground ball was misplayed by the Potosi shortstop paving the way for a single by Shelby Fowler to right with Odle taking third, leaving runners at the corners. Lexi Roberts got on base with a ground ball, scoring Odle when the pitcher misplayed the ball for an error and leaving runners at first and second and the Lady Patriots down 5-2. Harley Howton went down on strikes looking.
Presley Reeves' single through the middle of the infield brought in Fowler and sending Elliot to third cutting the Potosi lead to 53. Kennedi Davenport reached on a ground ball, misplayed by the Potosi shortstop with Reeves taking third and Elliot scoring to cut the Missouri lead to just 5-4. Sara Kate Anderson was hit by a pitch sending Davenport to second base loading the bases with two outs.
Anna French delivered the biggest hit of the inning, a line drive to right field in the bottom of the third inning with time expiring, driving in two runs to secure a 6-5 win for the Lady Patriots.
Next up for the Lady Patriots was Midland, the team's third game of the day and their final tournament match.
Both teams went into the third inning locked in a 2-2 tie, before Midland hit a pair of popups to right field, which led to a pitching change.
"Hannah had pitched the first game and the third game, while Anderson tossed the second," PW coach Steve Sherland said. "Those two pop-up fly balls should have been two outs for us, instead of no outs with Midland runners at first and third. The game just kind of snowballed from that point. We just didn't play well at times, but in all fairness, we were missing our two best players, Rhealee McGraw and Emmaleigh Spencer, who have provided a big portion of our offense and defense so far this season. Midland had no such problems, breaking though in the third inning to secure a 10-2 win. We got to play some of our younger girls and that was a good thing which, will hopefully help us during the rest of the season."
The Lady Patriots will return to action on Monday, March 27, when they make the trip to Carlisle, after a Sunday practice.
"Bottom line, we need to get a win over Carlisle," Sherland said. "They are a solid team and probably the conference champs."