Van Wade
The Orange Leader
LITTLE CYPRESS
Sat, May 17 2008
—
Well, the peach fuzz on Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bear softball coach Thomas Bridges gets to grow a little bit longer.
Coach Bridges promised the Lady Bears he wouldn’t shave until they dropped a contest. The Lady Bears kept the fuzz growing by taking down the second-place Port Neches-Groves Lady Indians 3-2 in District 22-4A action at Lady Bear Field Tuesday night.
A run-scoring single by junior Britni Collins in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference for LC-M as the Lady Bears improved to 16-5 overall, 6-3 in 22-4A play. LC-M remains in a third-place tie in the standings with the Dayton Lady Broncos and extended its win streak to five games after starting district 1-3.
“I’mgoing to be more than just fuzzy if the kids continue to play like they’re playing,” expalined Bridges. “They’ve really played well of late. Our defense has improved tremendously. Debra (Hamor) threw the ball hard tonight and we came up with some timely hits. We really played well in all phases of the game.”
Lady Bear ace Debra Hamor earned the win on the hill. She scattered six hits while striking out five. PN-G ace Katy Austin went the distance as well and she also allowed six hits while striking out five.
The Lady Bears manufactured two runs in the bottom of the third.
Madison Cole had a leadoff single to right and Julianne Viator reached after she placed a bunt and the ball was overthrown at first. After Brittani Chance flew out, Britni Collins reached on a fielder's choice with Cole being thrown out at third.
Katye Harris put LC-M up 1-0 when she slapped a bloop single to shallow right that allowed Viator to come in and score. The Lady Bears added another run when PN-G catcher Sam Lunceford tried to throw out courtesy runner Brittany Hale at second but the throw sailed into centerfield as Collins was able to dart home to score.
The Lady Indians scrambled for a run in the top half of the fifth inning.
Lindsey Holland had a leadoff single up the middle and went to second on a nice sacrifice bunt by Kate Fawcett. With one out, Mallory Livingston hit a bloop single to center as Holland moved to third. Holland raced in to score on a wild Hamor pitch but catcher Harris recovered the ball well and was able to gun down a streaking Livingston at third base.
The Lady Bears went up 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Viator ripped a double to left and scored on a two-out single to left-center by Collins.
PN-G got to within a run in the sixth.
With one out Lunceford singled to right and Shelby Blanchard followed with a deep double to right centerfield. Jessica Shields then drove in courtesy runner Haley Savant with a sacrifice fly to center. Hamor got out of the jam when she struck out Stephanie Bowman.
PN-G blew a golden opportunity in the top of the second.
Shelby Blanchard reached on a Lady Bear error at third and Jessica Shields got on when she put down a bunt and the throw was mishandled at first. Hamor then walked Bowman to load the bases with no outs.
However, Hamor got out of the mess when she struck out Lindsey Holland and then got Fawcett and Livingston to ground out into fielder's choices.
“Those errors certainly made things interesting,” expressed Bridges. “I had confidence in the kids though. I thought if we came away allowing just one run we’d be in good shape but the kids made two key defensive stops and Debra had that big strikeout.”
The Lady Bears will head to Beaumont Friday to take on the Ozen Lady Panthers. The Lady Bears also have two upcoming tough road tests at Lumberton and Dayton and still have to host first-place Nederland.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” Bridges said. “I do like the way we’re playing right now though.”
Bridges likes it, but his chin has been left in a “hairy” situation.
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