Lady Lions beats Cooper JV in opener
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lady Lions went 2-4-1 in their first week of the softball season, opening with an 8-5 victory over the Abilene Cooper JV before spending the weekend at the Eastland tournament.
At Eastland, the Lady Lions lost 14-1 to Clyde before beating Merkel 7-2 on Friday, Feb. 18. On Saturday, Feb. 19, Albany lost 8-6 to Wall, tied Coleman 6-6, and lost 8-7 to Jim Ned.
On Monday, Feb. 21, Albany lost 15-0 at Breckenridge.
“We got a chance to get a lot of work in,” coach Jimmy Fuentes said. “It was good for us to finally get to play, see some live pitching and game situations.”
The Lady Lions are set to make a second tournament appearance this weekend at Stephenville, but Thursday play has been cancelled, and at press time, the bracket was tentatively being adjusted for a two-day schedule, depending on weather.
“We’re going to be the smallest school everywhere we go,” Fuentes said. “We’re going to see plenty of tough teams and get beat up on a little bit, but in the long run it’ll be better for us.”
In the season opener, Ansleigh Garcia drove in three runs, and Ana Balliew pitched a complete game. Albany broke a 3-3 tie in the third inning on Garcia’s RBI single, then went up 8-3 in the fourth when she doubled in two runs.
Garcia and Ashlyn Holson, who had one RBI, both went 2 for 4 as Albany totaled eight hits. Sara Smith had an RBI double, and Gracie Price drove in a run, while Robin Lucas, Balliew, and Haily Cox each had a hit.
Balliew struck out five and walked none while allowing for earned runs on 10 hits, three of which were home runs.
Against Clyde, Holson went 2 for 3, while Price, Garcia, and Kam Browning each had one hit.
Balliew was charged with 11 runs, just three earned as Albany committed five errors, on 10 hits over four innings. Smith pitched an inning, giving up three runs on four hits.
In the win over Merkel, Balliew drove in three runs and allowed one earned run on six hits over six innings. Lucas, who went 3 for 4, and Smith each drove in a run.
Balliew and Lucas each had a double with Smith and Garcia each getting a hit. Albany scored four runs in the third and three in the fourth to overcome a 2-0 deficit.
In the loss to Wall, a seven-run third inning was too much to overcome, though Albany rallied with four runs in the fourth. Balliew was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, while Smith doubled and drove in a run.
Lucas went 3 for 4 with Holson, Smith, Browning, Garcia, and Cox each getting a hit.
Balliew worked four innings, giving up one earned run on four hits as six errors proved costly.
In the tie with Coleman, Balliew went 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs, Holson drove in two runs and Browning drove in one. Lucas was 3 for 4 with a double. Holson, Smith, Cox, and Gabby Lopez each had one hit.
Smith pitched four innings, giving up four runs on six hits. Balliew allowed two runs on three hits in two innings.
Against Jim Ned, six players – Lucas, Balliew, Smith, Browning, Garcia, and Lopez – drove in runs. Holson, Balliew, Smith, and Cox were all 2 for 3 with Browning and Garcia each getting a hit.
Balliew pitched into the fifth, giving up eight runs on 12 hits.
At Breckenridge, the Lady Lions were limited to singles by Holson, Balliew and Smith. The Lady Buckaroos had eight extra-base hits and put together a pair of five-run innings.
Balliew was charged with 14 runs on 14 hits. Smith allowed a run on two hits.
