Softball meets MCC, Alvin this week

BY MIKE MONTFORT

Bulldog Softball’s appointment calendar this week includes non-conference doubleheaders here Wednesday against 16th-ranked McLennan and Friday at Alvin against the Dolphins.

Coach Jessica Karenke-Burke’s club (8-10) is coming off a 2-2 weekend at Western Oklahoma State’s Pioneer Round-Robin at Altus, Ok.  The Bulldogs swept games from Barton County, Ks., (6-5) and dropped two to the 19th-ranked host Pioneers (15-1).

Weather and field conditions permitting, McLennan’s Highlassies will bring a 12-game winning streak to Corsicana.  The Highlassies (15-2/4-0) have opened Region V NTJCAC play with doubleheader sweeps over Cisco (10-7 and 14-0) and Weatherford (4-3 and 11-7).

Following non-conference play this week, plus a “Sophomore Day” Sunday doubleheader here against Hill, Navarro will begin its Region XIV East Zone  schedule with a twinbill against Bossier Parish.

Posted below are summaries from Saturday’s split at Pioneer Field:

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GAME 1: Navarro 1, Barton 0
Jenna Rude’s walkoff single on reliever Amanda Tucker’s first pitch drove home Carmen Acosta with the game’s only run as the Bulldogs finished a weekend sweep of Barton.

Dueling four-hit shutouts broke up in the seventh inning after nine pitches.  Acosta, who had two hits for NC,  opened the home seventh inning with a single to centerfield on a 3-2 pitch from BC starter Karsyn Smith.

Bayja Newby’s double to centerfield sent Acosta to third base and chased Smith from the game.  Smith threw 80 pitches, gave up six hits and struck out two before departing.

GAME 1  — Navarro 1, Barton County, Ks., 0
SCORE BY INNINGS..………..R-H-E (LOB)
Barton…….000…000..0  — 0-4-2 (LOB 8)
Navarro……000..000..1  — 1-7-2 (LOB 6)
Pitching
NC: Braylee Forse, Lindsay Garner (6), Lorin Reue (7).
BC: Karsyn Smith, Amanda Tucker (7).

2B: Bayja Newby
TB: Carmen Acosta 2, Jessa, Bayja Newby 2, Madison Pond, Jenna Rude 2
RBI: Jenna Rude
ROE: Sarah Koeppen, Madison Pond
FC: Carmen Acosta, Faith Fernandez
HBP: Jada Woolley
SB: Sarah Koeppen, Madison Pond
PIK: Faith Fernandez
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GAME 2: WOSC 11, Navarro 3
Cheyenne Mahy scattered eight hits and teammates Rosie Ward and Makayla Gibson each drove in three runs as Western Oklahoma defeated Navarro in Game 2.

NC got two hits apiece from Madison Pond and Jessa Johnson, and Bailey Bowers belted a solo home run   Bowers hit the home run on Mahy’s first pitch of the fourth inning and provided NC its first run.

Earlier, Ward’s two-out, two-run home run wrapped up a five-run third inning for Western Oklahoma that gave the Pioneers a 10-0 lead.

GAME 2 Western Okla St. 11, Navarro 3 (5 Inn)
SCORE BY INNINGS…………R-H-E (LOB)
Navarro…..000 …21 — 3-8-4 (LOB 5)
WOSC……055….1X — 11-8-0 (LOB 3)
Pitching:
NC: Brooklyn Swacker, Ally McKendree (2), Lorin Reue (3), Braylee Forse (5).
WOSC: Cheyenne Mahy.

2B: Madison Pond
HR: Bailey Bowers
TB: Bailey Bowers 4, Faith Fernandez, Jessa 2, Sarah Koeppen, Madison Pond 3, Jada Woolley
RBI: Bailey Bowers, Alanna Islas
SF: Alanna Islas
FC: Sarah Koeppen
GIDP: Bailey Bowers
PIK: Madison Pond