Girls Softball Tournaments Lead to District Action

Girl softball tournaments are leading up to the start of district action for the local high school teams. Orangefield actually played its first district game already last week.

The Orangefield Lady Bobcats fell to the Kountze Lionettes 3-1 in the District 22-3A opener on Tuesday night, February 27. Pitcher Abigail Curphey took the loss for Orangefield despite giving up just 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. Haylee Spears had the lone rbi and Abby Broussard scored the only Lady Bobcat run in the loss. "I was pretty happy with how we played. Kountze is very talented, we just didn't play perfectly like we needed to," Orangefield Coach Rebekah Ragsdale commented afterwards.

Orangefield played Thursday through Saturday last week in the Cleveland softball tournament. The Lady Bobcats won their first four games to earn a spot in the gold bracket of the tournament.

On Thursday, February 29, the Lady Bobcats beat MacArthur 4-0 with Charlee Sanches pitching a two hit shutout with 6 strikeouts. Hallee Becker, Abby Broussard, Haylee Spears, and Paisley Reeves all contributed to the Orangefield offense.

Later that day Orangefield beat the host team Cleveland 4-2 with pitcher Abigail Curphey getting the win in the circle allowing no earned runs and just two hits. Aubree Beck led the offense with a homerun and two runs scored while Alysen Vincent, Broussard, and Reeves each had a run batted in.

Orangefield won its next two games on Friday blasting Tarkington 9-2 and beating Humble 5-3. Curphey was the winning pitcher over Tarkington surrendering just one earned run and striking out five batters. The Lady Bobcats pounded out ten hits led by Sanches who homered, drove in three runs, and scored three runs. Paris Becker had two singles and scored two runs. Vincent had both a run scored and a run batted in.

Sanches picked up the win in the second game over Humble on Friday walking none and striking out nine. Sanches used her bat as well hitting a double, a triple, driving in a run, and scoring once. Paris Becker walked, ripped a triple, scored a run, and drove a run in. Her sister Hallee hit two singles and scored twice. Greenlea Oldham drew a pair of walks and scored a run.

Playing in the Gold Bracket the competition got tougher for Orangefield on Saturday. The Lady Bobcats lost twice by shutouts 4-0 to Shepherd and 5-0 to Vidor.

The Orangefield Lady Bobcats are 12-7-1 on their season. District play resumed on Tuesday against Kirbyville, and Orangefield will play again on Friday at Anahuac.

The Little Cypress Mauriceville Lady Bears won three games on Friday, March 1, in the Franklin Tournament. The Lady Bears blew away Normangee 24-0 in two innings. Ava Wright drove in three runs and Tessa Erickson struck out seven in three innings of pitching.

The second Lady Bears' game on Friday with Rogers was much tighter. Keylie Washburn hit a homerun to tie the game 5-5 in the third inning, and the Lady Bears went on to win 8-6 in that game.

LCM got its third win on Friday that night 6-5 over White Oak. Abby Sepulvado hit a three run single that led to five runs scoring in the eighth inning for the Lady Bears to get the victory.

On Saturday Little Cypress Mauriceville split two games. The Lady Bears lost to Salado 9-1 before defeating Rogers again this time by a score of 5-1.

The schedule for District 19-4A girls begins this week. The Bridge City Cardinals played at home on Tuesday against Silsbee and will face the Little Cypress Mauriceville Lady Bears on Friday in Bridge City. The West Orange-Stark Lady Mustangs opened district at home against Vidor and will travel to Lumberton on Friday.