Tuesday, March 13, 2018, Roughriders Ballpark –
The Center Lady Roughriders Varsity Softball Team dropped their first District 16 Class 4A game, 11-0 to the Carthage Lady Bulldogs, on Tuesday. The Lady ‘Riders are now 0-9-2, and 0-1 in their conference. The Lady Bulldogs stand at 7-2, 1-0 in conference action.
Carthage used a lead-off single by sophomore Jordan Mclin to get things started in the top of the first inning. Kinsley Ingram followed with a run-batted-in single which put the Lady ‘Dogs up 1-0 early. Addison Blissett reached base on an infield hit. Blissett and Ashley Earle, who reached base on a walk, were later sent home on illegal pitches. Before the first half of inning number one concluded Carthage had an 8-0 lead attained by six hits, three walks, and three pitching miscues (balks). Center’s shortstop, senior Taylor Nichols, avoided more damage when she ended the inning with a spectacular backhanded catch in the outfield to record the inning’s last out.
Center only saw three batters reach the plate in the bottom of the first. Two walks and a timely infield hit helped the Lady Bulldogs extend their lead to 10-0 in the top of the second inning.
Center once again went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the second inning. Carthage got two hits in the top of the third inning but excellent defense by Nichols, Jada Hicks, and pitcher Jazz Cooks kept the Bulldogs at 10-0 after they failed to score in the frame.
Center didn’t gain a baserunner in the bottom half of the third inning as the Carthage defense only used 11 pitches to set them down 1-2-3 using two ground-outs and a catch on a pop-up fly.
Center returned the favor of keeping the base paths empty as they set Carthage down 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth frame with good defense.
The Lady Roughriders got their first hit when Taylor Nichols led off the bottom of the fourth frame with a single to leftfield. They got a second hit later in the inning but had the two baserunners stranded at the end of the inning.
The final run of the game was scored on an error in the top of the fifth inning and it gave Carthage an 11-0 advantage. Roughrider Jada Hicks singled into centerfield in the bottom of the fifth inning but this proved to be all the offense Center could get rolling. The game ended with Carthage gaining an 11-0 win after the game was called due to the league’s mercy-rule.
The Lady ‘Riders will play their next district contest at Rusk High School on Friday, March 23, 2018, at 6 p.m. Rusk is 11-8-2. They are 1-0 in District 16 4A competition.
