Lady Lions Blast Lady Bulldogs to Win Bi-District

Lovelady Sweeps Series 2-0

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

RUSK – The Lovelady Lady Lions came into the Bi-District Championship with a record of 25-2-1 and a #2 ranking in Class 2A. Their opponents in the first round of the postseason were the Garrison Lady Bulldogs, the fourth-place team out of District 22-2A.

After picking up a 10-1 win in the first game of the best-of-three series on Friday, the Lady Lions left no doubt on Saturday as they homered five times on their way to a 16-1 win.

The second game of the series started with a bang as Scout Lovell rocketed a pitch into the outfield and then dared the Lady Bulldogs to catch her before she reached home. Lovell won the dare as the speedy freshman raced around the base paths and crossed home plate to make the score 1-0.

Jacy Stubblefield followed in the batting order and legged out an infield single. She stole second to move into scoring position but Haven Prager fouled out as did Linda Martinez. Just when it seemed that Stubblefield might be stranded, Morgan Womack came through with a double to center to drive her in.

That was all Lovelady could manage in the first as Makenna Pierce fanned to end the Lovelady half of the inning.

Garrison cut the lead in half when they came in to bat. Chloe Reneau, who was in the circle for the Lady Bulldogs, led off with a single.

The Lady Lions had given Macie LaRue the nod to start the game and after the single she fanned Brynn Clark on three pitches. The next batter was Zoey Libby and she ripped a double to the gap in left center to drive in Reneau, who had stolen second earlier in Libby’s at-bat.

Garrison was stymied following the double. LaRue caught Madison Fleming looking at strike three and then got Makenzie Cranford to tap back to the mound for the third out.

While the Lady Lions have relied on their pitching in recent years, they showed what their bats could do in the second.

Rylee Biedrzycki led off with a pop-up to right, but Erin Sample followed with a blast over the left field fence to make the score 3-1. Bailee Albinus was up next and singled past third. Lovell made her second appearance at the plate and hit a long single to left.

Stubblefield sacrificed the runners to third and second which brought up Prager for the second time. Prager had just missed a pitch in her first at-bat, but in her second plate appearance, she got her money’s worth. On a 2-1 pitch, Prager turned on the ball and unleashed a bomb that cleared the fence for a three-run dinger.

Martinez grounded out to end the Lovelady at-bat but after only an inning and a half, the Lady Lions led 6-1.

In the bottom of the second, LaRue plunked Mariah Chanowski to open the inning. The next batter was Kloe Stokes who struck out on a nasty change-up. Her sister Karli Stokes followed her in the batting order and hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and move the game into the third.

Womack led off the third and flew out to left. Pierce was up next and she hit a line shot to the gap for a double. Biedrzycki fanned, but Sample came up big again with a two-out double to drive in Pierce from second base.

Albinus drew a walk while Sample took advantage of a lapse in judgement by Garrison to move to third. With Lovell at the plate, a double steal brought Sample across the plate while Albinus took second. The Lady Lions could have waited on the score because on the next pitch, Lovell got all of it and sent it screaming over the wall in left to make the score 10-1.

After finally getting out of the third, the Lady Bulldogs showed a little fight. Abby Skelton led off with a single while Reneau reached on an error. A sacrifice from Clark moved Skelton to third and Reneau to second.

That would be as far as they got, however, as LaRue fanned Libby and Fleming to close out the frame.

The Lady Lions padded their lead in the top of the fourth as they scored twice to go up 12-1. Prager K’d to open the inning but Martinez was hit by a pitch and moved to first. Womack sacrificed Martinez to second while Pierce followed with a single to move Martinez to third.

A two-out single by Biedrzycki drove in Martinez and Pierce to open up an 11-run lead. Sample was up next and drew a walk. She stole second but was stranded when Albinus struck out.

In the bottom of the fourth, LaRue was relieved by All-State pitcher Mimi Sandoval. Sandoval opened with an illegal pitch to put Cranford on first. She then struck out Chanowski and Kl. Stokes, hit Ka. Stokes with a pitch and then fanned Skelton to close out the inning.

The Lady Lions salted the game away in the fifth as Lovell led off the frame with her third home run of the game to make it 13-1. Stubblefield was plunked and moved to first. She stole second and came around to score when Prager singled to left while an error in the outfield allowed Prager to motor into third.

Martinez was up next and drew a walk. She stole second and moved to third when Womack singled through the infield to drive in Prager. Pierce followed with a fly ball out and then Biedrzycki popped up to second.

Sample was hit by a pitch and when Reneau uncorked a wild pitch, Martinez scampered home to make it 16-1.  

After Lovelady was retired in the top of the fifth, Sandoval took care of business in the bottom of the inning as the game was called because of the mercy rule.

The Lady Lions swept the series 10-1 and 16-1 to win the Bi-District Championship. Lovelady will now move to the Area Round of the playoffs where they will face the Woden Lady Eagles in a best-of-three series. All games will be played at Pollok Central High School. Game One will be held on Friday, May 7 with a scheduled start time of 7 pm. Game Two will be held on Saturday, May 8 with an 11 am start time. If necessary, Game Three will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game Two.

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

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