Lady Bears Fall at Bridge City in Softball

Local softball teams have entered district action and one of the first games pitted two of the favorites in the local Class 4A district the Bridge City Cardinals against the Little Cypress Mauriceville Lady Bears. The Cardinals got the victory at home 4-0 behind the no hit pitching of ace Carson Fall on Friday, March 8.

Fall was fantastic in the circle yielding only one walk to Tessa Erickson in the second inning while striking out 18 Lady Bears. In the fourth inning Fall struck out three LCM batters on nine pitches.

The pitching for Little Cypress Mauriceville was very good too except for one inning. Ella Stephenson started in the circle and kept Bridge City from scoring through four innings despite walking five, hitting a batter, but giving up only a single to the Cardinals' Cambree LaComb in the fourth.

The Bridge City half of the fifth inning ended the scoreless tie. Makenna Knight reached base on a one out grounder that could not be fielded cleanly. Anna Autrey singled to center, and Erickson replaced Stephenson in the circle.

Erickson hit Fall the first Cardinal batter she faced with a pitch to load the bases. The next Bridge City batter Lexi Nugier took one for the team when she was hit by the first pitch to her which forced in the first run of the game. Then Brooklyn Droddy worked to get a full count fouling off several pitches before earning a base on balls to bring home the second Bridge City run.

With two outs Jensyn Yeaman slapped a two strike pitch to the left side of the infield that was knocked down. The throw to first was wide of the base allowing two more Cardinals to come home making the score 4-0 in favor of Bridge City.

With a four run lead Fall closed the door on Little Cypress Mauriceville striking out five of the last six Lady Bears to face her. Leading off the seventh Jacelyn Cook hit a liner to right field on which Kyleigh Hamilton made a good catch to preserve the no hitter.

Bridge City Coach Kylie Bradley was excited by the job done by Carson Fall to throw a no hitter in such an important district game. "Carson always comes out and throws an outstanding game. I've been confident in that the whole time. She's a kid who's going to do that. Carson wanted this game, and she worked hard for it by preparing all week. Carson gave it all she's got and it showed," Bradley praised.

The way Bridge City scratched for four runs also pleased the coach. Bradley described, "We had girls on base all night, and I kept telling them we've got to push them across, but I was very proud that they kept scrapping and working and kept their heads up in the field and when they got back in the dugout the girls adjusted and we scored."

Bridge City improved its District 19-4A record to 2-0 with the win over LCM which lost its opening game in district. Earlier in the week on Tuesday, March 5, the Cardinals shutout Silsbee 6-0 on a one hitter by Fall who had 18 strikeouts in that game too. Autrey drove in two runs while LaComb and Nicole Sasser both had two hits.

The West Orange-Stark Lady Mustangs had a tough week losing both of their games. Vidor won 19-0 and Lumberton triumphed 15-0 over the Lady Mustangs in District 19-4A action.

The Orangefield Lady Bobcats won both games they played last week. The game on Tuesday, March 5, was scheduled to be played at Orangefield but rain earlier that day forced the game to be moved to Kirbyville. The location did not matter as the Lady Bobcats won 7-4 to even their district record.

Abigail Curphey went six innings giving up just one earned run to get the win. Charlee Sanches pitched the seventh inning to preserve the Orangefield victory.

Sanches was the leader with the bat wrapping out four hits, scoring two runs, and driving in one. Alysen Vincent had three runs batted. Hallee Becker, Paris Becker, Aubree Beck, and Haylee Spears each produced at least one run apiece.

Orangefield improved to 2-1 in District 21-3A with its win on Friday, March 8, over the Anahuac Lady Panthers. The Lady Bobcats won 8-2 at Anahuac.

Curphey got the win again pitching five innings surrendering no earned runs and striking out five. Sanches allowed just one hit in the last two innings to again preserve the triumph for the Lady Bobcats.

Beck scored the first three runs for Orangefield which included a homerun. Paris Becker hit a double, scored a run, and knocked in a run. Her sister Hallee scored two runs and drove in one. Vincent reached base three times and brought a run home. Sanches had a run and a run batted in. Paisley Reeves, Abby Broussard, and Audrey Sonnier each accounted for a Lady Bobcat run.