Friday, March 28, 1997

City softball roundup

Midland Lee 18, Cooper 7

Cooper stayed even with the district co-leaders for awhile Thursday, but errors and Midland Lee's offensive firepower finally caught up with the Lady Cougars.

The Lady Rebels banged out 18 hits and took advantage of eight Cooper errors in an 18-7 victory over Cooper in a District 4-5A girls softball game at Redbud Park.

The win keeps Lee (14-4) even with Abilene High atop the district standings at 8-1. Cooper falls to 8-12-1 overall and 0-8 in district.

Two errors on a hard-hit ball by Patricia Carrasco that skipped past both Cooper third baseman Jaime Malone and leftfielder Adrian Coffield cleared the bases and gave the Lady Rebels a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first inning.

But Cooper countered with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the first. Lauren Wallace drove in Andi Ledbetter and Adrian Coffield with a double, and Wallace scored on Sandra Worth's sacrifice fly.

But the Lady Cougars couldn't continue to keep pace with Lee.

The Rebels added three runs in the second, five in the third and two more in the fourth to take a 12-3 lead. Cooper scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth without the benefit of a basehit.

But Midland Lee batted around in the sixth inning, scoring six more runs to end the game after six innings on the 10-run rule.

Adrian Nobles rapped three doubles and a single to pace Lee's 18-hit attack.

Andrea Rodriguez was the winning pitcher for Lee, with relief help from Teresa Mays. Andi Ledbetter suffered the loss for Cooper.

Records-Midland Lee 14-4, 8-1; Cooper 8-12-1, 0-8

Abilene High 5, Midland High 4

MIDLAND - Abilene maintained its share of the District 4-5A girls softball lead Thursday with a 5-4 victory. But not without a late scare from Midland High.

The Lady Bulldogs scored a run in the sixth and two in the bottom of the seventh, but Midland left the tying and winning runs stranded at second and third base.

Rightfielder Monica Guerrero threw out the potential tying run at the plate for the second out in the seventh, and the Lady Eagles recorded the final out on a grounder to April Letz at first base.

"We had a couple miscommunications at the end, but the girls never thought they were going to lose," Abilene High coach Jody Anderson said. "They had their heads on straight and came through with a win."

The victory puts Abilene High at 23-1 overall and 8-1 in the district, tied for the 4-5A lead with Midland Lee. Midland High is 9-8 and 3-6.

The Lady Eagles scored three runs in the first on Deborah Smith's RBI single and two passed balls. AHS added two more in the top of the sixth inning on Guerror's squeeze bunt and Traci Smith's RBI single for a 5-1 lead before Midland's late rally.

Kelly Armbruster was the winning pitcher for AHS with relief help from Smith.

Records-Abilene High 23-1, 8-1; Midland High 9-8, 3-6

Wylie 10, Lubbock High 6

Wylie punched 14 hits and got four runs batted in from Jeri Lyn Jones, in a 10-6 softball victory over Lubbock High Thursday at the Wylie High School field.

Pitcher Juli Jones (17-4), who faced 31 batters, struck out 12 and did not issue a walk. Juli Jones also helped herself by going 2 for 4 with one RBI.

Jeri Lyn Jones was 3 for 4 and scored three runs for the Lady Bulldogs, who improved to 18-5.

Wylie scored three runs in the first inning, which included a single by Lacy Weeks, who scored when the ball was misplayed in the outfield.

In the second inning, Wylie's Chrissie Darilek and Stephanie Anders singled, and Weeks hit a fielder's choice to drive in Darilek. Juli Jones then singled to drive in a run, Debra Eitleman singled, and Jeri Lyn Jones laced an inside-the-park home run.

Lubbock had five hits in its five-run sixth inning, along with two Wylie errors. Only three of the five runs in the frame were earned.

Wylie will resume District 6-3A play Tuesday at Ballinger Tuesday.

Records - Wylie 18-5.