Three-Run Fifth Propels Sandiettes to Win

Grapeland 4 Leon 2

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – The Grapeland Sandiettes welcomed the Leon Lady Cougars to Sandiette Stadium on Tuesday for an all-important District 25-2A matchup.

The Sandiettes are locked in a battle for playoff seeding and a win would go along way in helping them move up into the third or even second seed. The same could be said for the Lady Cougars.

Grapeland struck first in the game only to see Leon tie things up in the second. In the bottom of the fifth, however, the Sandiettes plated three runs to go up by a score of 4-1. The Lady Cougars scratched out a run in the top of the sixth but that was as close as they would get as Grapeland held on for the 4-2 win.

Jaycee Graham was in the circle for the Sandiettes to start the game and ran into a little trouble in the first inning. She gave up a lead-off walk to Makaila Woods who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Breanna Watson.

Lanie Goolsby followed in the batting order and singled to left. Woods moved to third on the hit while Goolsby took second on the throw. Woods tried to get greedy, however, and was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning.

Graham followed up the out at home by forcing Sky Duke to ground into a 4-3 force at first to bring Grapeland in from the field.

Bobbie Guyton got the start for the Lady Cougars and recorded two quick outs. MaKayla McCombs popped up to second and then Guyton caught Morgan Terry looking at strike three.

Kayleigh Lively was up next and drew a full-count walk. Jessi Cunningham followed in the batting order and reached base on an error. On the play, Lively raced over to third. Two pitches later, a passed ball allowed Lively to sprint home for the game’s first run while Cunningham moved to second. That was all the Sandiettes would get in the first inning but after one, they led 1-0.

Guyton led off the second and reached on an outfield error. She motored into second on the play and was replaced by courtesy runner Kassie Van Kampen. A passed ball moved Van Kampen to third and when Caitlyn Crane lofted a deep fly ball to center, she was able to tag up and score.

Madison Brent was up next and lined out to third. Megan Page followed with a single but that was as far as she would get as Bri Van Dyke grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sandiettes went quietly in the bottom of the second as both Ella Post and MaKenna McCombs struck out while Anna Cutshaw grounded into a 5-3 force at first.

Neither team could get past first base in the third or fourth innings but in the fifth, the action began to heat up.

Page led off the top of the fifth with a double to left. Graham came back to strike out Van Dyke while Page moved to third on the play. Woods followed with a liner back to the circle that Graham snagged for the second out while Watson flew out to left to end the Leon threat.

Grapeland broke the game open when they came into bat. Cutshaw led off the bottom half of the inning and drew a walk. MaKayla McCombs popped up to Guyton in the circle but Terry followed with a little bloop single to shallow center.

Unfortunately, the ball placed Cutshaw in no man’s land where she didn’t know if it would be caught or if it would drop. As it turned out the ball dropped but Leon was able to field it and throw to second for an out.

Lively was up next and drew a walk to put runners at first and second. They say two-out hits will get you to heaven. If so, Cunningham and Boehm have a reserved spot.

After Lively walked, Cunningham came to the plate. On the first pitch she saw, she lined a double into right to drive in Terry from second base while Lively moved to third.

Boehm was up next and she lined a single into right that plated both Lively and Cunningham, making the score 4-1.

While Graham flew out to end the inning, she buckled down in the circle to finish off the Lady Cougars. After recording two quick outs in the top of the sixth, Graham gave up a single to Guyton.

Guyton would steal second and third and when Crane slapped a shot past third base, Guyton trotted home to cut the Grapeland lead to 4-2. That was as close as Leon would get, however, as Graham coaxed Brent to ground out to third to end the frame.

After the Sandiettes went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Cougars had one more shot.

Page led off with a single but Graham followed up on the base knock with a strikeout of Van Dyke. Emilee Bowdoin was up next and grounded out to short. On the play, however, Page made it to second. Watson was up next and was plunked by Graham to put runners at first and second.

Goolsby was up next and she hit a single to left to load the bases. Duke followed in the batting order with a chance to win or tie the game. After watching strike one sail by, she saw a pitch she liked but swung underneath the ball and hit a soft liner back to the mound that Graham snared for the final out.

Graham picked up the 4-2 win with seven innings of work. She gave up two runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked two.

Guyton took the loss in six innings. She gave up four runs on six hits, struck out five and walked four.

At the plate, the Sandiettes were led by Haley Boehm who was 1-2 with two RBI. Jessi Cunningham was 1-3 with one RBI and a run scored.

The Lady Cougars were led by Caitlyn Crane who was 1-3 with two RBI.

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