AREA SOFTBALL: Cowgirls Strong Arm Eldorado Behind Armstrong's Gem

ELDORADO, TX -- Behind another gem from junior Jesse Armstrong, the Mason Cowgirls downed the Eldorado Lady Eagles 13-0 on Tuesday.

Armstrong went the full seven innings to shut out Eldorado, allowing just one hit, six walks and striking out nine along the way. That's not uncommon for the junior, seeing as she has already thrown three no-hitters this season after missing the first part of the year due to her commitment to the Cowgirls' state tournament run in basketball.

"Coming into this game, she only had like 25 innings," head coach Billy Todd said. "So, I'm just trying to get her as many innings as I can to get her ready for the playoffs. We need her at her best when we get to the playoffs."

Armstrong allowed a one-out walk in the first inning before striking out six of the 10 batters faced in the second and third innings, showing the lifetime softball player has no trouble adjusting back to the diamond.

"She plays ball all the time. She's played softball pretty much her whole life," Todd said. "So she's a gamer. She's thrown three no-hitters already in the short time she's been back and she almost had another one tonight. She doesn't miss a beat, so being out here late doesn't affect her."

Eldorado's Jocelyn Massey broke up the potential no-hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning with an infield single that forced a dive from Kelcey Doss to keep the ball in the infield.

Mason's offense got started in the first inning with one run before being held scoreless in the second. They tacked on three runs in the third and fourth to open up a 4-0 lead.

Tristin Keller then sparked a four-run outburst with a leadoff triple in the sixth. Mason would follow that up by scoring five runs in 10 at-bats in the seventh to cap off the scoring.

Highlighting Mason's offense was senior Presley Anastas, who went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three doubles to her name.  Keller was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI to her name. Those two were part of a lineup that featured four players with multiple hits.

Taking the loss for Eldorado was Jadyn Martinez, who surrendered eight runs on 13 hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched.

The win keeps Mason one game ahead of the rest of the district because they opened up with a doubleheader against Christoval. But Todd and the Cowgirls aren't forgetting who's chasing them.

"We've still got Harper Friday and they're gonna be the team to beat," Todd noted. "They're always pretty good. They came into our region out of region IV. So, they're gonna be the team to beat. We've gotta play a lot better than we did tonight."

Mason (10-8, 5-0) will host Harper at 6:00 p.m. this Friday. Eldorado (3-8, 1-3) will travel to Menard this Friday.

Lady Cats Snap Skid Behind McMillan's 6 RBIs

The Central Lady Cats ended a five-game losing streak with a 15-2 win in five innings over Fort Worth Haltom behind Ashton McMillan's stellar offensive day.

The sophomore went 3-for-4 at the plate with six RBIs, four runs scored and was a double shy of hitting for the cycle. McMillan picked up half of her RBIs on a three-run home run in the third inning.

Fellow sophomore Bailey Fulps went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Emily Sanchez picked up a pair of RBIs as well for the Lady Cats.

Allizaya Talamantes picked up the win in the circle for Central after going five innings and allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts.

Central (8-12-1, 2-4) will travel to Weatherford this Friday.

Grape Creek Holds Off Sonora's Late Rally

Eight runs in the final three innings were not enough for the Sonora Lady Broncos as the Grape Creek Lady Eagles held on for a crucial 9-8 win in District 4-3A.

Taigan Rivers highlighted the offensive performance for Grape Creek by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs scored and an inside the park home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Nita Betts also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a double.

Sonora had the tying run on second in the seventh inning in the form of Cheyenne Haynes, but could not bring her home to force extra innings.

Brae Harris was one of three Lady Broncos with multiple hits, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Shyanne Gamez (2-4, 2 RBIs) was the only Lady Bronco with multiple RBIs.

Morgan Fowler picked up the win in the circle for Grape Creek after going seven innings and allowing eight runs on 11 hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.

Sianne Alviso was charged with the loss after giving up seven runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Grape Creek (7-5, 5-2) travels to district leader Ballinger on April 2. Sonora (4-15, 1-6) hosts Ballinger on Friday.

Ballinger Keeps Pace Atop District Standing with Shutout of Brady

The Ballinger Lady Bearcats kept their one-game lead in District 4-3A in a 3-0 win over Brady thanks to another solid outing from sophomore Daniella Luna.

Luna picked up the win after going the distance and allowing just three hits against eight strikeouts. 

Ballinger broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning after Kayli Greer's RBI single. Caitlyn Guillen followed that up three batters later with a two-run single.

Katie McAnelly took the loss despite a valiant effort where she allowed three runs on four hits against five strikeouts.

Ballinger (7-5-1, 6-1) will host Grape Creek this Friday. Brady (4-3, 4-3) will host Reagan County this Friday.

Reagan County Bounces Back in Dominant Style Against TLCA

After losing to Wall on Friday, the Reagan County Lady Owls bounced back with a 17-4 win in five innings over TLCA on Tuesday.

Yuli Balderas was on a tear, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. She also picked up the win in the circle, allowing four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.

Elissa Gallegos went 2-for-2 with three RBIs for Reagan County.

TLCA pulled within one run at 3-2 heading into the bottom of the second inning before Reagan County sent 14 batters to the plate to score nine runs and seize control of the game.

Abelina Rangel was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. Macy Lawdermilk and Keelyn Wheeler each went 1-for-3 with an RBI to their names.

McKenna Manley took the loss after allowing 12 runs on seven hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Reagan County (9-5, 3-4) now sits one game behind Brady for the fourth and final playoff spot in District 4-3A heading into their road clash with the Lady Bulldogs this Friday. TLCA (5-19, 1-6) hosts Wall this Friday.

Syler's 14 K's Help Lady Bulldogs Run Rule Roby

The Miles Lady Bulldogs run ruled Roby 15-0 in five innings on Tuesday behind a near-perfect performance from Lizzie Syler in the circle.

Syler allowed one hit and one walk against 14 strikeouts in five innings of work on Tuesday. She also went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored offensively.

The Lady Bulldogs were led offensively by Skyler Brooks, who went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs. That bumped the Ole Miss commit's batting average up 24 points to .756 this season.

Miles also picked up multiple RBIs from Regan Smithwick and Cambree Schwartz, who each went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

Miles (8-10, 1-2) will travel to Rotan this Saturday.

Rodriguez Winters Perfect Against Hamlin in Three Inning Rout

The Winters Lady Blizzards were perfect against Hamlin in a 16-0 win that lasted just three innings on Tuesday.

Miranda Rodriguez hurled three perfect frames and struck out eight to get the win in the circle.

Winters' offensive explosion was highlighted by Querstin Lara, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to her name. Skylar Lee finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Winters (12-5, 3-0) hosts Roby this Friday. 

Junction's Late Rally Not Enough Against Harper

The Junction Lady Eagles fell just short in an 8-7 loss to Harper on Tuesday despite a late rally.

The Lady Eagles trailed 7-2 after the fourth inning before scoring five runs in the final three innings. An RBI ground out from Harper in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the difference in the game.

Lindsay Jackson had the biggest day at the plate for Junction, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs to her name.

Jordan Johnson was charged with the loss after allowing eight runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

Junction (8-7, 2-2) hosts Menard on April 2.

Scores from the area:

• Sweetwater 21, Lake View 0
• Menard 21, Christoval 4