Lady Lions record 3-1 in district
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lady Lions softball team prepared for its first meeting with Cisco last week with a pair of radically different victories against Class 1A opponents in District 8-2A play.
On Tuesday, March 22, Albany defeated May 15-0 in a game stopped in the third inning at Webb Park. On Friday, March 25, the Lady Lions rallied to edge Eula 5-4 in eight innings in their first district road game.
On Tuesday, March 29, Albany (6-12-1 overall, 3-1 district) lost 7-6 against Cisco at Webb Park.
“Beating Eula was big,” coach Jimmy Fuentes said. “Hopefully that will carry over.”
The Lady Lions will close out the first half of the district schedule Friday, April 1 at Gorman, then start the second half Tuesday at Cross Plains.
Against May, Albany managed just three hits, but took advantage of 13 walks and three hit batters. The Lady Lions scored seven runs in both the first and second innings.
“May is young, and they have a brand new program,” Fuentes said. “We took advantage of every opportunity.”
Gracie Price went 2 for 2 with a double, while Kam Browning was 1 for 1 with three RBIs and Brooklyn Abbate drove in two runs. Browning singled in two runs in the first, and Price doubled in a run in the second.
Albany scored six runs on wild pitches or passed balls and three more when a walk or hit batter with bases loaded forced in runs.
Ana Balliew struck out five in pitching the shutout. She allowed one hit and two walks.
Against Eula, Haily Cox singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning after the Lady Lions rallied for three runs in the seventh after being an out away from losing.
“Hopefully, this gives us some confidence," Fuentes said. “It shows we’ve got a chance to win at the very end if we’ll just play well. I’m not sure we would have done that last year.”
Albany trailed 4-1 after six, but had six consecutive batters reach after starting the seventh with two outs and none on. Balliew drew a bases-loaded walk, and Sara Smith followed with a two-run single to tie it.
“It was just kids getting it done,” Fuentes said, “They knew that they had to do something at that exact moment, and they got it done.”
Robin Lucas finished 4 for 5 with a double, while Balliew and Price both went 2 for 4. Cox, Smith, and Ansleigh Garcia each had one hit.
Balliew went the distance in the circle, allowing four runs on 12 hits. She walked one and struck out one. Eula had the winning run at the plate in the eighth when Balliew got the final out.
ALBANY 15, MAY 0
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
MAY 0 0 0 x x x x 0/1/0
ALBANY 7 7 1 x x x x 15/3/1
atbat runs hits RBI
Lucas ss 1 2 0 0
Price lf 2 2 2 1
Balliew p 1 1 0 0
Smith 3b 1 2 0 0
Garcia cf 0 3 0 1
Barrera 2b 0 2 0 1
Browning 1b 1 2 1 3
Abbate rf 2 0 0 2
Cox c 0 1 0 0
Totals 8 15 3 8
2B – Price. SB – Lucas, Garcia, Barrera.
IP H R ER BB SO
Balliew 3 1 0 0 2 5
ALBANY 5, EULA 4
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R/H/E
Albany 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 5/11/0
EULA 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 4/12/2
atbat runs hits RBI
Lucas ss 5 2 4 0
Cox c 3 1 1 1
Balliew p 4 0 2 1
Smith 3b 4 0 1 2
Garcia cf 3 0 1 0
Barrera 2b 4 0 0 0
Browning 1b 4 0 0 0
Abbate rf 3 0 0 0
Price lf 4 2 2 0
Totals 34 5 11 4
2B – Lucas.
IP H R ER BB SO
Balliew 8 12 4 4 1 1
