Lady Cougars Claw Past Sandiettes, 3-1

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

JEWETT – After posting double-digit run totals in their last three games, the Grapeland Sandiettes were red-hot at the plate. The Sandiettes were just as proficient in the field as Grapeland only committed a combined three errors during that three game span.

Unfortunately, on Tuesday, March 19, the Sandiettes ran into a roadblock as both the offense and defense faltered in a 3-1 loss to the Leon Lady Cougars.

Grapeland only mustered four hits while they committed five errors. Leon on the other hand had seven hits and did not commit an error.

As the game began, Maci Bumpurs was in the circle for Leon and she was lights out as she retired the Grapeland line-up in order to end the top-half of the inning. Kiera DeCluette flew out to center, Diamond Dunn grounded out to Bumpurs and Cheney Boyd hit into a 6-3 force.

The Sandiettes sent Cadie Belle Currie to the circle and the All-State pitcher started off a little shaky. Currie gave up a first-pitch, lead-off single to Caroline Richmond to open the Lady Cougars at-bat. The ball was booted in the outfield and Richmond managed to motor around the base paths to third. Currie followed up with a strikeout of Jenna Bumpurs, but then gave up a triple to Rosemary Rivera which plated Richmond.

Fortunately, the junior lefty regained her composure to strike out both M. Bumpurs as well as JoBeth Eddings to end the inning and keep the score at 1-0.

In the second inning, M. Bumpurs continued to dominate as she only need six pitches to retire the Sandiettes in order for the second consecutive inning. Cierra Simon bunted out, Currie flew out to center and KeKe Harris hit into a force at first.

The Lady Cougars wasted little time in padding their lead as Kassidy Cravey led off the bottom of the second with a triple. Caitlyn Crane followed with a single to right which allowed Cravey to scamper home and make the score 2-0.

Maddie Thomas was up next and she popped up to third for the first out of the inning. Allee Pervis followed with a fly ball to right which was mishandled. On the play, Crane took second while Pervis was safe at first.

A second error in the inning allowed Crane to sprint around the bases and cross the plate to make the score 3-0.

Currie managed to get the next two batters out to send the game into third but M. Bumpurs kept the Sandiettes off the base paths as she retired the side in order for the third consecutive inning.

Taking a cue from the Lady Cougars, the Sandiettes also tightened up defensively as Currie worked a 1-2-3 inning. She forced a groundout from M. Bumpurs, struck out Eddings and got Cravey to hit into a 6-3 force to end the third.

In the fourth inning, the Sandiettes got their first hit of the game. After DeCluette made the first out of the frame, Dunn beat out a bunt for the first Grapeland hit. That was as far as she would get, however, as M. Bumpurs forced Boyd to fly out to right and Simon to fly out to left to end the top of the fourth.

Currie ran into a little trouble in the bottom of the inning as Crane reached on an error, Thomas popped out to third but Pervis singled up the middle of the infield to give Leon runners at first and second with only one out.

On the next pitch, the Sandiettes’ defense finally made an appearance. Richmond hit a shot to centerfield that Harris managed to track down. Crane was running on the play, but when Harris made the catch, she was hung-up in no-man’s land and was gunned down at second as part of an inning ending double play.

While it seemed promising, Grapeland was unable to build on the momentum created by the double play. Cravey came into pitch for M. Bumpurs and gave her third baseman – Rosemary Rivera – a workout at third. Currie popped up to Rivera and then both Harris and McCombs grounded out into a pair of 5-3 force outs.

While the first two batters managed to get aboard in the Leon half of the fifth, Currie managed to retire the next three Lady Cougars she faced to send the game into the sixth inning.

The Sandiettes seemed poised to cut into the lead as the next-to-last inning got underway. Jaycee Graham led off with a single and after Haylee Reed fouled out, Graham took second on a DeCluette bunt.

Unfortunately, Dunn was called out for a violation at the plate and Boyd was rung up when the Leon catcher hung on to a foul tip to end the Grapeland sixth.

A quiet bottom of the sixth gave way to the top of the seventh and the last chance for the Sandiettes. Simon led off the inning for Grapeland and after fouling off three straight pitches, Simon saw a pitch she liked and deposited it over the left field fence for a solo HR.

With the score now 3-1 and the heart of the batting order coming up, the Sandiettes seemed ready to make a comeback. It was not meant to be, however, as Cravey retired the next three Sandiettes she faced to slam the door on a Grapeland comeback bid and give Leon the 3-1 District 21-2A win.

Maci Bumpurs picked up the win with four innings of one-hit pitching. Kassidy Cravey got the save with three innings of work. She gave up three hits, struck out two and allowed Simon’s homerun.

Cadie Belle Currie took the loss in six innings. She gave up seven hits, three runs (two earned), struck out five and didn’t walk anyone.

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

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