Weather can't cool off Mudbums

Unbeaten Mudbums did not let a little cool weather slow down its run-and-gun style of offense in the slightest. By now it should not be a secret and Mudbums keeps doing it with little to no resistance.
Thursday night on Hoover Millraney field, the Mudbums crew continued the offensive assault and this time Holton Industries fell to the run, run, run offense. Mudbums ran away in the first inning and defeated Holton Industries, 14-3.
Mudbums coach Nolan Esparza, a softball genius, credits his team for listening and paying attention on the field and being aware of game situations.
Halo Armstrong was the first up for Mudbums and she reached on a walk. Armstrong took off on the first pitch to Danika Reno and she landed on second base. One pitch later, Armstrong was on third base but she was caught at home when she attempted to steal for the first out.
Reno also drew a walk and she wasted little time and advanced to second. Aleya Esparza blasted a line-drive shot that cleared the bases and landed her on third. After only a couple of pitches Esparza stole home and Mudbums was up 2-0. Madelyn Powers reached first base and she stole every base including home for a 3-0 lead. Emily Stoner singled for Mudbums and stole second. Ryleigh Rankin doubled and Stoner crossed the plate for a 4-0 lead just before the third out was made.
In the bottom of the first, after the first batter went down on strikes, Kimberly Mendieta was hit by a pitch and she quickly made her way around the bases and was held up at third. Strikeout number two came, but two consecutive walks loaded the bases for Holton Industries. Mudbums pitching stepped up and threw its third strikeout of the inning to stop the Holton Industries momentum.
In the top of the second, Mudbums got right back to work. Kinslee Grissom and Maddox Jones reached on walks and each runner had advanced an extra base before going back to the top of the line-up. Armstrong hit a rocket through the infield for a double that allowed Grissom and Jones to cross the plate for a 6-0 lead.
Reno drew a walk to put another runner aboard for Mudbums. The first out was recorded by a strikeout and it was followed by a monster shot by Allison Hudson for a triple. The triple scored both Armstrong and Reno and Mudbums took an 8-0 lead.
Holton Industries started the bottom of the second with the lead-off batter, Emma Muncey, hit by a pitch. Muncey stole second base and McCormick drew a walk. Muncey was then caught before she could reach third for the first out. The second out was immediately picked up on a strikeout. Jaycie Hodges was then hit by a pitch and she made her way safely down to first base. But Holton Industries was caught again with the bats on their shoulders and strike three was called for out number three, and the score remained 8-0.
Mudbums led off the top of the third inning with a rare strikeout. Grissom drew a walk and she wasted no time and scooted around the bases. A slow rolling ground ball was gathered up by the defender and thrown to first base for the second out of the inning. Back to the top of the line-up and Armstrong walked, Reno was hit by a pitch, and Esparza walked. The wheels on Mudbums bus never stop turning and Hudson singled and runs crossed the plate.
Powers also walked then proceeded to second and third to end the inning. When the wheels did stop turning, Mudbums’ lead had grown to 13-0.
Holton Industries drew three consecutive walks to start the bottom of the third. Harris, Katie Blackman, and Muncey all reached base and the bases were loaded again only for the second time during the game. McCormick sent a single through the infield for a base hit. Harris and Blackman scored for Holton Industries and the score was 13-2. Mendieta walked and Holton Industries had runners at the corners with no outs. The first out came from a strikeout and Muncey scored on the next play to make it a 13-3 lead. McCormick was caught going into home for the second out of the inning. Harris was the last batter to draw a walk. The following batter went down on strikes to end the inning but not before they posted three runs on the scoreboard.

Carbide CrossFit beats Ben Lomand

The kids on Pete Holt Field were full of fire Thursday, and boy did they need it. With a cold front moving through and the temps dipping down, it was hard to slow down the momentum of the 7-8 year old coach pitch girls.
Ben Lomand Connect held a slight advantage after the first inning. Watching Ben Lomand Connect run the bases sparked the girls from Carbide CrossFit. They got hot. They turned up the temperatures on the field and they took a commanding lead and defeated Ben Lomand Connect 18-7.
Maykayla Cagle started off the top of the first for Carbide CrossFit with a single. The following batter hit a ground ball for out number one and a strikeout for the second out soon followed. Lily Rains reached first base and she quickly made her way around the infield. By the time the third out was made, Carbide CrossFit led 2-0.
Maddox Adams and Halle Lowe singled for Ben Lomand Connect in the bottom of the first. Bella Stiles reached first base and Ben Lomand Connect was threatening with runners at each base. Abigail Fann had a solid base hit that landed her at second base and allowed Adams and Lowe to cross the plate. The score was all tied up at 2-2 with only one out. A ground ball brought in Stiles for a 3-2 Ben Lomand Connect lead.
Jera Jones and Mica Jones singled for Carbide CrossFit and put the tying and go-ahead runs aboard for Carbide CrossFit. Cagle singled for the second time and this time she brought a run across and Jera Jones scored to lock the score at 3-3.
Annabella Colwell singled to drive in Mica Jones and took a 4-3 lead. Rains reached base for the second straight time and Tinzlee Tanner wound up on second base, Colwell, Rains, and Tanner crossed and took the Carbide CrossFit lead to 7-3.
Ben Lomand tried to answer the five-run inning posted but the offense in the first inning did not show up in the second. Adams was the only player to score during Ben Lomand Connect’s second time at bat and after the quick inning Carbide CrossFit led 7-4.
Carbide CrossFit quickly got back to work when Jera Jones and Mica Jones each had singles to start the top of the third. Kia Ann King also reached first base safely. Cagle started to bring runs across as she quickly scampered down the line as her hit went through a gap in the infield. Maggie Whiles got involved with a base hit and Carbide CrossFit motored around the bases. Lily Rains was the last player to cross the plate and after the inning was over, the Carbide CrossFit lead was 13-4.
Ben Lomand Connect was going to need runs, and plenty of them. Stiles, Fann, and Briley Jones did their part by making a quick trip around the bases and brought the Ben Lomand Connect score up to seven. The inning ended almost as quickly as it started and the score was 13-7 in favor of Carbide CrossFit.
In the top of the fourth, Carbide CrossFit added five more runs to give them a total of 18 for the game. With the game out of reach it did not stop Ben Lomand Connect from trying. Fann and Jones both reached base but had no support in getting around the bases and the game ended with Carbide CrossFit in the lead 18-7 over Ben Lomand Connect.

Womack Printing wins thriller

It certainly was a drastic change over the last time these two teams were on the field. Maybe the drop in temperature played a role in Thursday night’s games. But for what it’s worth it all came down to who wanted it more, and who was willing to take the most chances. Womack Printing outlasted O’Reilly Auto Parts and escaped by the narrowest of margins, 18-17.
Womack Printing and O’Reilly Auto Parts put in four grueling innings, or at least the pitchers did. And maybe it was the brisk temperatures that kept the pitchers from getting warmed up or into a rhythm.
With the drop in temperatures everyone was caught a little off guard. But in the top of the fourth inning and the score locked at 15-15, Womack Printing led off the inning with a strikeout. Trinity Eckol reached first base by walk, along with Regin Grissom for runners on first and second. Savannah Duggin blasted a shot through the infield for a single and Eckol crossed the plate for a 16-15 lead. Paige Sweeton took a walk just before a base hit by Latoya Johnson and a double by Chloe Volf. The double cleared the bases for Womack Printing and they led 18-15.
O’Reilly Auto Parts was down to its last bat and Mia Hobbs started the inning off with a solid base hit for a single. Cadi Beth Todd was hit by a pitch for another runner on base with no outs. Bella Cantrell smashed a double into the gap that cleared the bases to make it an 18-17 game. Hailey Simpson put the ball in play but she was thrown out at first. Abby Sullivan picked up a walk and Cantrell tried to advance home but got caught for the second out of the inning. Lydia Netherton reached on a walk and she advanced to second. With runners at second and third, the final out of the game was made by a strikeout giving the 18-15 win to Womack Printing.
In the top of the first, Womack Printing started off with a walk by Grissom and this was surely a sign of things to come. After a strikeout for out one Sweeton, Johnson, Chloe Volf, and Vada Lowery all crossed the plate for a 5-0 first inning lead. Jazlynn Ward, Sadie Duggin, and Mackena Hillis also drew walks to help advance the runners.
In the bottom of the first, it was more free bases, this time for O’Reilly Auto Parts Kyra Perkins, Hobbs, Todd, Cantrell, and Simpson. They all crossed the plate by walking with the exception of Cantrell. She was the only runner in the entire first inning to make contact for a base hit. Abby Sullivan, Netherton, and Kara Best also walked and help to tie the game at 5-5.
Eckol started the second with a walk followed by Grissom, Duggin, and Sweeton for Womack Printing. Johnson was the first for her team to get a solid hit on the ball for a base hit single. Volf and Lowry walked their way to first base followed by Ward and Duggin and by the time the inning had ended it was a 10-5 lead for Womack Printing.
The bottom of the second, Perkins led off the inning using her bat to put the ball in play but it was gathered up for the first out of the inning. Hobbs then walked her way to first base followed by a nice base hit drive that landed Todd on second base. Cantrell was then hit by a pitch and O’Reilly Auto Parts had the bases loaded.
A hard shot through a hole in the infield by Simpson and runs started to cross the plate. Netherton, Lydia Sklenka, each walked and Best ended the inning after she was hit by a pitch and after two complete, the score was even at 10 each.
The third inning for both teams went right along with the previous two innings and all five runs for each team walked across. The score was 15-15 after three complete innings and the final inning proved to be the determining factor Thursday night.

Platinum Roofing tops Bob Young

Platinum Roofing had Bob Young Nursery covered in the two teams'  last meeting. Platinum Roofing had every square inch of Hoover Millraney Field covered. So much in fact they defeated Bob Young Nursery, 16-3.
In the top of the first, Lucas Young led the inning off for Bob Young Nursery with a single. Young was bumped around the bases with help from a ground ball for an out by Carter Simpson that landed Young on third base. Keynai Bryan hit a shot past the defense and allowed Young to cross the plate, 1-0.
Platinum Roofing responded when John Gillespie singled and scooted his way around the bases. Jathon Baker and Luke Judkins also made the quick trip around the infield. After the final out was made, Platinum Roofing led 3-1.
Bob Young Nursery started its second trip to the plate with an out. Keagan Thompson and Aiden Young got a little better start than the lead batter. The duo quickly made their way around the bases off hits by Lucas Young and Simpson. After the third out, Bob Young Nursery shared the lead at 3-3.
Platinum Roofing throttled up in the bottom of the second. Kylen Jones, Tyler Self, Jon Young, and Gillespie all rattled off four straight hits before the first out was made and Platinum Roofing led 4-3. Baker and Judkins each brought runners in to increase their lead to 7-3. In all two more runs crossed before the final out was made and pushed the lead to 9-4.
In the top of the third, Bob Young Nursery went down in order for the first time in the game and the score remained 9-4.
Platinum Roofing was in the bottom half of the lineup but still managed to score Jones and Self, who reached base on singles that got through to the outfield. Gillespie helped push the runners forward with a much-needed base hit. The Platinum Roofing lead was 11-3.
Bob Young Nursery was losing steam and with the exception of a single by Thompson in the top of the fourth, the offense would fade.
Platinum Roofing went on to score five more runs in its final turn at the plate. As the game wore on Platinum Roofing, picked up steam and defeated Bob Young Nursery, 16-3.