BIG LAKE, TX-- The Wall Lady Hawks utilized the long ball well to beat Reagan County 11-4 on Wednesday.
The Lady Hawks jumped out on top with a one-out, two-run shot to center field by Ashlynn Box in the first inning. Ashley Dusek followed suit the very next at-bat by sending a long ball the opposite way over the right field fence.
"It's always great to start a game like that," said Wall Head Coach Steve Bain. "That's the thing about this team; once they get going, they get going, especially when you're playing against a team like Reagan County. Reagan County is scrappy. They're a good team. I think once we got on a roll and got our bats going, the kids were able to relax a little bit."
Wall continued their onslaught in the second inning with an RBI single from Payton Box, Ashlynn's cousin, to make it 4-0 Lady Hawks after one-and-a-half innings.
Yuli Balderas drove in a run for the Lady Owls in the bottom of the third after Wall shortstop Kenzee Smith committed an error, making the new score 4-1 after the third.
The Lady Hawks would explode for five runs in the top of the fourth inning, thanks in part to Rylee Morales pulling a solo-shot over the fence in left field.
Reagan County would mount a small rally in the bottom of the fourth inning when Nivea Goodloe lined a single to right field. An error on Trinitye Ruebsamen would enable Goodloe to move in to third base and Valeria Ortiz to score. Michelle Delacruz would drive Goodloe in during the next at-bat with a single through the left side of Wall's infield to make it 9-3 Wall after four full innings.
Those would be the last runs that Izzy Vera allowed. Vera exited the game after six innings of work, allowing the three runs on four hits with one strikeout.
"Usually [Izzy] is on," Bain said. "Seeing her be able to adjust and fight through the whole game was great. She did an awesome job."
Kenzee Smith notched an RBI on a single to center field in the top of the sixth to make the score 10-3 in favor of the Lady Hawks. Morales capped off the Lady Hawk's scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field. Vera would tag up at third base and come home to make it 11-3 after six-and-a-half innings.
Senior Madi Herrera came on to close out the Lady Owls in the bottom of the seventh. Herrera would hit Balderas to lead off the inning followed by a four pitch walk to Kaylee Vargas.
The senior hurler would get a pair of pop-outs from Reagan County. With the Lady Owls down to their final out, Ortiz laced a double to center field to score Balderas. However, that was all she wrote for the Lady Owls as Herrera struck out Nivea Goodloe to end the game.
"Reagan County is scrappy," Bain said of the Lady Owl's seventh inning. "They're never out of a game. Madi [Herrera] did a great job coming in. She hit the first batter, it happens sometimes, and got a couple of hits, but once she settled down she was good."
Getting the losing decision for Reagan County was Balderas, who put in seven innings for the Lady Owls.
Dusek was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate for Wall, with three runs scored to go with her home run. Morales led the Lady Hawks with three in her 1-for-4 performance at the plate. Dusek and Payton Box were the only Lady Hawks to record a multi-hit game for Wall.
Delacruz led Reagan County offensively with a perfect 2-for-2 performance, an RBI, a run scored and a walk.
The win moves Wall to a 15-4 overall record with a 4-0 mark in District 4-3A and a two game lead over Ballinger for first place. Ballinger was forced to postpone their game with TLCA to Monday, April 2, after the storms that came through on Tuesday. Wall will face TLCA at the Bell Street fields Thursday, March 29, at 5 p.m.
Reagan County falls to 4-6 overall and 2-2 in district play. The Lady Owls will travel to Sonora on Thursday for a 5 p.m. game.
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