Softball team wins season opener
The Lady Lion softball team took the field for the first game this season on Tuesday, hosting Breckenridge at Webb City Park.
The Albany girls won the opener 7-5, even though several local starters didn’t play due to the basketball playoffs.
Albany will be on the road Friday and Saturday at the Eastland tournament. The Lady Lions are scheduled to play at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Friday, followed by games at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Coach Jimmy Fuentes reports that he has 18 players on the roster so far, with new players showing up just this week.
The team scrimmaged Jim Ned last Thursday at home, but no score was kept.
“It wasn’t bad for a first scrimmage,” said Fuentes. “The weather sure wasn’t good, but we did have a chance to get a look at some of the younger kids.”
The coach said that there is a lot of potential for the younger players this season after losing a large senior class last season.
“There are several of the freshmen who can pitch, so we will be evaluating them this week as the season starts,” he said. “Since we are so young this year, we need to focus on the intricacies of the game.”
The coach added that there are a number of open spots to fill.
The Lady Lions lost a key player last week when sophomore Elia Hebel suffered a knee injury that will require surgery.
“It really hurts to lose Elia,” he said. “I hate to see her have to go through this. She can’t be replaced – she is one of the top two players I’ve ever coached.”
JV Baseball Starts
Lion will start their schedule next week, with only the JV playing until basketball season is over.
The JV will travel to Graford on Monday, Feb. 18, for the opener, followed by hosting a local tournament.
Coach David Fairchild said that seven teams are entered in the local JV tournament set for Feb. 21-23. Schools participating include Cisco, Coahoma, Bluff Dale, Hamlin, Anson, Early, and Albany.
“We are still waiting on the basketball guys to join us, so we only have a few working out,” Fairchild said. “We have enough for a JV schedule right now.”
The coach said that he hasn’t been able to work out on the field much due to the weather.
