Sandiettes Continue District Domination

Grapeland Defeats Neches, 10-0

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – The Grapeland Sandiettes continued their District 21-AA domination on Friday, April 6 with a 10-0 win over the Neches Lady Tigers.

The Sandiettes currently have a record of 8-0 in district play, which is impressive, but while they are undefeated in league competition, it’s the way they have gone about it that’s making people sit up and take notice.

Through eight district games, the Sandiettes have allowed a total of nine combined runs, with four of those coming in a 19-4 blowout win over Centerville. At the plate, Grapeland has amassed 104 total runs for a positive run differential of 95 and has now run-ruled every district opponent – except one – at least once.

That lone district opponent is the Class 1A State Champion Slocum Lady Mustangs who the Sandiettes defeated by a score of 10-2 earlier this season. The two teams will tangle once again this Saturday, April 14.

Speaking of being run-ruled, the latest team to fall victim to the Sandiette machine was the Neches Lady Tigers. Despite losing 5-2 in their first meeting, Neches had played Grapeland closer than anyone else in district play, so far.

The pitching match-up featured two of the area’s best in Grapeland’s Cadie Belle Currie and Neches’ Josey Sumpter. Through four innings, both pitchers held up their end of the bargain but in the bottom of the fifth, the Sandiettes proved to be simply too much as they plated six runs to end the game by a final score of 10-0.

While Currie was dominant throughout the game, she showed just enough wildness to keep the Lady Tigers a little uneasy in the batter’s box. She hit Hannah Lovelady to open the game, but caught Lovelady on the base paths trying to steal.

Following the tag-out, Currie struck out Sheridan Andrews. An error in the outfield allowed Sumpter to reach first but she was stranded there as Currie forced Jayci Mannix to pop up to short for the third out.

When the Sandiettes came to bat, the top of the order produced three quick runs. Cierra Simon led off with a single to right, stole second and then stole third. Kiera DeCluette followed her in the batting order and hit a looper over short to drive in Simon. On the throw, DeCluette took second.

Cheney Boyd was up next and during her at-bat, DeCluette swiped third. Sumpter managed to strike out Boyd but followed the K up with a walk to Hannah Chipman. A wild pitch brought in DeCluette and allowed Chipman to motor all the way to third.

One pitch later, Chipman stole home to give the Sandiettes an early 3-0 lead. Sumpter settled down after Chipman’s steal of home and got both Currie, along with Madi McCombs to ground out to end the inning.

After Currie retired the Lady Tigers in order during the top of the second, the Sandiettes tacked on another run to push their lead out to 4-0.

KeKe Harris grounded out to lead off the inning but Diamond Dunn followed with a bunt single and a steal of second base. Haylee Reed was caught looking at strike three, but on a 1-0 pitch, Simon slapped a shot to right to drive in Dunn from second.

That was all the offense until the fifth inning as both pitchers settled into a groove. That groove was disrupted, however, when the Sandiettes came to bat in the bottom of the fifth.

Simon led off with a fly ball out to right. DeCluette was up next and bunted her way on base. She stole second, took third on a wild pitch and came around to score on when Boyd single to center.

Boyd stole second and was joined on the bases by Chipman who reached on an error. Two pitches later, both Boyd and Chipman advanced a base on a wild pitch. They didn’t stay there long as Currie lined a Sumpter pitch into center for a two-RBI single.

Christy Shepherd came in as a courtesy runner for Currie and moved to second on a wild pitch. McCombs was up next and lined a shot into left to plate Shepherd and make the score 8-0.

On the throw, McCombs took second. Harris was up next, laid down a bunt and used her speed to beat the throw to first while McCombs moved to third on the play. Harris stole second to move into scoring position.

This brought Dunn to the plate Dunn who watched three pitches sail by for balls. On the 3-0 count, however, she got the green light and roped a pitch into left field to drive in both McCombs and Harris to end the game with the score 10-0.

Currie picked up the win in five innings. She yielded one hit, stuck out seven and walked one. She was also 1-3 at the plate with two RBI.

Sumpter took the loss in 4.1 innings of work. She gave up 10 runs (four earned) on 10 hits, struck out four and walked one.

At the plate for Neches, Madison Whitfield picked up the lone hit for the Lady Tigers while Sumpter drew a walk.

For the Sandiettes, Diamond Dunn was 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Kiera DeCluette was also 2-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. She also stole two bases.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].