Sophomore Michelle McGill shined at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs-batted in, but it wasn’t enough to help Huntsville get over the hill as Livingston outlasted the Lady Hornets 7-3 in District 18-4A softball action Friday at Kate Ross Barr Park.
Huntsville (7-10, 2-2) fell down early 5-0 after five innings but battled back for a pair of runs in the sixth. The Lions tacked on two runs of their own in the seventh and the Lady Hornets were only able to push across one run in their half of seventh inning as they failed to win their third district contest in three days.
“We hit some shots — they didn’t fall; they hit some shots and they did fall,” Huntsville coach Nancy Hopper said. “That’s softball. Tonight was just one of those nights like that.”
Jessica Beardsley added a multi-hit effort, batting 2-for-4 with a run scored and Haley Tatum also drove in a run.
Shelby Smith took the loss on the mound. She lasted four innings in the circle and gave up four runs and seven hits while walking two. Haley Martin pitched the final three innings for the Lady Hornets, allowing three runs and four hits.
Livingston opted for Morgan Lantrip as its starting pitcher, but after Huntsville got a pair of runners on base in the second, Lantrip was replaced with Whitney Aikin.
Aikin got the Lions out of the second-inning jam and proceeded to pitch the final five innings to get the win and yielded three runs and just four hits while walking one.
Livingston scored a pair of runs in the top of the second when Nicole Sanders singled with the bases loaded to score two runs, but further damage was prevented when Lantrip was thrown out at the plate.
“It’s very important that we get runs across early in the game,” Hopper said. “Livingston jumped out early, kept the lead and increased it a little — a run or two at a time. We were late getting a couple of runs across.”
The Lions added an insurance run in the fourth when Aikin doubled to right to lead off the inning.
A single by Kasey Hobson plated Aikin, but Smith pitched herself out of the threat to hold the Lions lead to 3-0.
Livingston scored two runs in the top of the fifth but Huntsville countered in the sixth with a pair of its own.
Nena Gibson drew a leadoff walk and stole second. McGill laced a triple over the right fielder’s head to plate Gibson and came home on a groundout by Tatum.
Haley Martin followed with a single to right, but Livingston center fielder Kortini Bodnar was able to track down a deep hit ball to center off the bat of Brigette Sledge. With a runner on first and her team leading 5-2, Aikin escaped the frame by getting freshman Sharita Ennis to fly out to second.
Huntsville will continue district play when it travels to Willis on Tuesday and hosts Caney Creek on Thursday.
“Playing next week will be a little different than what we’ve gotten used to this week,” Hopper said. “With Good Friday coming up, we’ll play Tuesday and Thursday and right now the weather forecast for Tuesday doesn’t look so well. I’m sure the kids are tired with four games this week. I told them to have a nice holiday weekend and to be ready to go Monday.”
Sports
Livingston strikes early, holds off Lady Hornets 7-3
- Sports
-
-
Bigger, faster and stronger, Hornets can’t wait to kick off 2012 football campaign
This spring, the Hornets have overhauled their offensive plans and head coach Shane Martin, his assistant coaches, and most importantly, the players are pumped about the changes they’ve made.
-
Schallenberg: Kats now hoping résumé speaks for itself
Despite one of the best seasons in school and Southland Conference history, all the Bearkats can do now is watch scoreboards, wait and hope for the best.
-
The thrill of victory ... the agony of defeat
The Bearkats knew exactly what they needed to get done and they were up to the task.
In order to reach championship day of the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament, the Kats would have to stave off elimination twice just to get to today’s final round.
The Bearkats nearly pulled it off. - Kats beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-3
-
Alive and kicking: Bearkats still in hunt at SLC baseball tourney
With the possibility of going home early from the Southland Conference Tournament and a chance of their season coming to an abrupt end, the Bearkats needed some quality starting pitching and production from their bats in the worst way.
Like he has done all year long, Sam Houston senior Justin Jackson delivered a lights-out performance on the mound and the offense made the kind of impact the Bearkats have been looking for Thursday morning.
Both elements came together at the exact right time as the Kats stayed alive in the tourney with a 7-1 victory over McNeese State in an elimination game at Bobcat Ballpark. -
Bad day for Bearkats
The Bearkats’ road to the NCAA tournament just got a little bit tougher.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi broke out for four runs before top-seeded Sam Houston even stepped to the plate Wednesday afternoon, but the Kats couldn’t find a way to counter that first punch.
Sam Houston connected for eight hits, but could not get enough of those in a row to make a dent in the deficit and are now one loss away from being eliminated from the Southland Conference tournament following a 9-2 loss at the hands of the eighth-seeded Islanders on Wednesday afternoon at the Bobcat Baseball Ballpark. -
Schallenberg: Time is now for Bearkats in Southland tourney
The Bearkats look to take care of business this week in the Southland Conference baseball tournament.
-
Alpha Omega Academy trio shine at state track meet
Freshman brings home four medals, including two golds
-
Tough night for Kats against Rice
The Bearkats had a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression for a potential at-large bid in the NCAA tournament with fifth-ranked Rice coming to town. Sam Houston’s bats couldn’t get going early enough or be able to link enough hits together against the Owls pitching staff and succumbed to a 5-0 loss in the final game of the season at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday night.
-
BEARKAT BASEBALL — Plenty up for grabs against fifth-ranked Rice
For several reasons, today’s game against fifth-ranked Rice is going to be a biggie for the Bearkats.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
