By Joshua YoungÂ
The Lady Lobos and Lady Rebels squared off at Tuesday night’s district opener for both teams at the Lobo Softball Field. The two crosstown challengers looked to establish themselves as the early season favorite, but the final score of 11-0 in Hays’ favor made it clear who was the team to beat.
Both teams were scoreless in the first inning, but Hays broke through in the second inning thanks to a bases loaded walk followed by a 2-run single by senior second baseman Addie Vayas giving the Lady Rebels a 3-0 cushion. That score remained until the fourth inning when Hays once again got to Lehman senior pitcher Samantha Villegas with a couple of base hits and a sacrifice fly to get one run across. Hays third baseman Alyssa Martinez then doubled home another run and gave the Lady Rebels a 5-0 lead.
Hays’ senior pitcher Sarah Leal held the Lobos at bay all night as she scattered four hits over her seven innings of work, never allowing the Lady Lobos to gather any momentum at the plate. She also struck out 15 Lehman hitters on the night.
In the top of the sixth inning, with junior relief pitcher Erin Mendoza on the mound, Hays again pressured the Lehman defense as an errant throw and a wild pitch allowed two runs home and then an RBI double to the left field fence brought home another for a comfortable 8-0 lead.
The Lobos would be retired in order in the sixth and seventh innings as Hays would add the final three runs in the top of the seventh behind another RBI basehit by Martinez and finished with an RBI double by the pitcher Leal. The top of the order did much of the damage on the night for the Lady Rebels, as Martinez went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Vayas chipped in with two hits of her own and two runs batted in.
