First-inning rally too much for Quitman

Posted 4/14/22

The first three outs of the Quitman vs. Winnsboro game Monday were likely the toughest outs of the season. The district-leading Lady Raiders put up 14 runs in the top of the first en route to a 14-1 …

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First-inning rally too much for Quitman

Posted

The first three outs of the Quitman vs. Winnsboro game Monday were likely the toughest outs of the season. The district-leading Lady Raiders put up 14 runs in the top of the first en route to a 14-1 win.

For the Lady Bulldogs just about everything that could go wrong in the first inning did.

Two makeable catches bounced out of fielders’ gloves, a ground ball bounced over the head of the third baseman, another was just out of reach on the right side of the infield.

A Texas-leaguer fell in shallow left, two infield errors led to runs, and an RBI-producing bunt came off the hitter’s foot but the umpiring team did not see it. 

Add to the ill-fortune the solid hitting production of the visitors – 19 batters produced 10 base hits, including four extra base hits in the first inning – and it was a catastrophic recipe for the Lady Bulldogs.

When Quitman came to bat in the bottom of the first, the game was nearly an hour old.

Alexis O’Neal and Kennedi Elmore split pitching duties in the first. Elmore then came out in the second and threw the remainder of the game. 

While it could be argued that Winnsboro had lost all sense of urgency after putting up 14 runs in the first, it is notable that Elmore allowed only five baserunners (on three base hits) for the remainder of the game. 

Winnsboro sits atop District 13-3A. While recouping a huge margin may have been a long shot, all kinds of things are possible in softball.

Quitman put runners on base in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. The rally in the second was stymied when Larkin Spears cracked a hard line drive which was caught and a Quitman runner was doubled off second base.  

With one on in the fourth, Elmore cracked the hardest hit ball of the night. The Winnsboro third baseman reacted more out of self-defense than to make a play on the ball, and it popped out of her mitt. She quickly recovered and got the force-out at second base. 

The sole Quitman score came in the fifth. Spears beat out a lead-off ground ball for an infield base hit. She took third on a Winnsboro fielding error. Reiny Luman put an RBI-single through the left side of the infield, driving Spears home. 

The game ended when Elmore’s deep drive to right-center was caught on the run by the Red Raider centerfielder.

The Lady Bulldogs finished their regular season schedule by visiting Mineola Friday and hosting Winona Tuesday.