Friday night on the Abilene Cooper softball field, the Brownwood Lady Lions knocked three home runs en route to a 12-0 victory over Levelland. Brownwood had also defeated Levelland in game one Thursday 6-2.
Scoreless after two innings, the Lady Lions (12-13-1) seized the momentum with four runs off Levelland (24-9) in the top of the third, put the game out of reach with a seven-spot in the fourth, and tacked on an additional run in their final trip to the plate in the fifth inning.
Sophomore catcher Chloe Walls led Brownwood’s 12-hit assault with three – including a grand slam and three-run homer, as she collected eight RBIs.
“I’m really impatient so I really, really had to wait (on the pitches) and that’s the hardest thing for me to do,” Walls said. “Mainly I just focused on scooting back in the box and finding a pitch I could drive. She didn’t throw me a lot of strikes but I found a couple and went with them.”
Freshman shortstop Kyleigh Caperton chipped in a solo home run as well following Walls’ second blast as Brownwood went yard back-to-back during the seven-run top of the fourth inning.
“My first two at-bats weren’t that good today so I didn’t think I would get a home run on my third one,” Caperton said. “But, I sat back on the first pitch and watched it go by and on the second one that came in I drove it and did what I was supposed to do.”
Mia Lopez contributed two hits and an RBI, Tynlea Wilson recorded a pair of hits, Peyton Pena tallied one hit and one RBI, and Jakayla Peek, Mackenzie Welch and Jeniffer Romero tacked on one hit apiece.
In the circle, Wilson followed a Thursday gem with Friday’s shutout as she scattered four hits over five innings, striking out two and issuing one walk while stranding five base runners.
“Yesterday was a solid performance by the defense and they had my back and showed me I could count on them as they always do,” Wilson said. “Today, I came out with a mindset that you have to come hungry and jump on them quick and not leave any doubt. Honestly, in the beginning we prayed and that really sets the mindset because I give all the glory to God.”
In Brownwood’s four-run third inning, Peek led off with a double and Pena followed by drawing a walk. With one out, Lopez’s RBI double plated Peek with the only run the Lady Lions would need. But Walls then stepped to the plate and belted a three-run blast over the left field wall.
“You could see Chloe up there calculating every pitch, waiting and knowing the zone and knowing which pitch she actually wanted to give all of her might,” Munguia said. “You could see her moving forward and back in the box, trusting anything we could give to help her adjust. Then when she was ready she left no doubt.”
The Lady Lions’ seven-run fourth started with a single to left field by Wilson, a bunt base hit by Welch and Peek walked to load the bases with no outs. Another free pass to Pena with the sacks full plated Mykaela Mendoza – running for Wilson – with Brownwood’s fifth run. Lopez then reached on a one-out error that allowed Welch to score. Leading 6-0 and the bases still juiced, Walls stepped to the plate and for the second at-bat in a row left the yard, crushing a pitch to left field for a 10-0 Brownwood cushion. Caperton followed two pitches later with her solo shot, also over the left field wall.
Brownwood scored once more in the fifth inning as Pena singled with two outs, and Romero and Lopez followed with infield singles to again load the bases for Walls – who once more came through with an RBI infield single to cap the scoring.
“Yesterday we had some nerves but today’s objective was to leave no doubt – no doubt in your mind, no doubt in your abilities, no doubt in the stands, no doubt anywhere,” Munguia said. “That was our goal today and in order to do that we had to go one ball at a time and the girls committed to that. They took the pressure off and had a good time out there and that was the difference.”
The Lady Lions will face either District 7-4A champion Krum or District 8-4A fourth seed Gainesville in the area round next weekend. Krum (22-7-1) won Game 1 of the series, 19-3, Friday night with Games 2 and 3, if needed, set for noon Saturday.
(story courtesy Derrick Stuckly of Brownwoodnews.com)