Lady Cats fall to Carlsbad, Hobbs in first district games

Apr. 20—Clovis High's softball team got through an inning in each game of Thursday's District 4-5A doubleheader against Hobbs on Thursday night at Lady Wildcat Field.

It was the next three frames where the sledding got rough.

Leading 2-0 in the opener, the Lady Eagles put together three consecutive six-run stanzas en route to a 20-1 victory, ending in four innings on the 15-run rule. Game 2 was scoreless after the initial canto before Hobbs (15-3, 4-0 district) pulled away to a 15-0 victory, also in four segments.

The two top dogs in the district, Hobbs and Carlsbad, put a combined 68-1 whipping this week on the Lady Wildcats (2-16, 0-4).

"I felt like we played a lot better (than Tuesday)," CHS softball coach Kaitlin Wolfe said. "We're still building, but you can't keep messing up on the little things."

Clovis pushed over its only run in the third inning of the opener. Sophomore Brooke Renteria, who went 2-for-3, singled leading off and eventually tallied on a fielder's choice grounder by freshman Madysen Cushing.

Nine players hit safely for the Lady Eagles, who have won seven in a row and are ranked fourth in Class 5A. Senior Karissa Garcia was 4-for-5 with three doubles and seven RBIs, while four others added two hits apiece.

Junior pitcher Yaraceli Medina allowed five total hits, with two walks and four strikeouts.

In Game 2, Renteria was the only Lady Cats baserunner, reaching on an error to start the fourth. She eventually got to third base with two out, but Clovis couldn't get her in to thus force another inning.

Senior Marissa Young led the Lady Eagles' 11-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, three runs scored and five RBIs.

Next up for the Lady Cats is a 4:30 p.m. district twin bill on Tuesday at Roswell High.

Carlsbad 15-18, Clovis 0-0 (Tuesday) — The Cavegirls won the first game in four innings and the second contest in three, both on the 15-run rule, in District 4-5A openers for both squads.

In the opener, junior Kailon Fuentes singled, doubled twice and tripled in four at-bats, scoring one and driving in four runs. She also allowed just one hit in the circle, a single by sophomore Sophie Roberts, while striking out nine.

Junior Parris Weldon was 3-for-3 and also tripled, scoring three times and knocking in three runs.

In Game 2, the Cavegirls (9-7) scored five in the first, four in the second and nine in the third. Junior Analicia Hernandez allowed a pair of singles to Roberts.

Sophomore Faith Rivera and freshman Allyson Madrid both went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while junior Vianka Villa and freshman Katrina Ortega were also 2-for-3.