Lady Bobcats squeeze past WO-S

Van Wade
The Orange Leader

WEST ORANGE Sat, May 17 2008

— The playoffs may not be in the cards this season for the Orangefield Lady Bobcats, but their future looks as bright or brighter than most teams down the road.
The Lady Bobcats scratched their way to a run in the fourth inning and another in the seventh to turn back the second-place West Orange-Stark Lady Mustangs in District 21-3A action at Lady Mustang Field Tuesday night.
The win pushed the Lady Bobcats to 6-7 in district play.
That’s not too shabby when you start five freshman plus a sophomore on the mound.
First-year Lady Bobcat head coach Amy Duhon was thrilled with the big win.
“The sky is the limit for this team in the next two and three years,” said Duhon. “They’ve battled hard all season long.”
A play here and a play there and the Lady Bobcats could’ve squeezed into the postseason this year.
“We’ve only been out of one game in district and that was against Silsbee,” Duhon said. “We’ve been involved in so many one or two-run games where we fell a little short. It’s been a learning experience and some experienced gained.”
Sophomore pitcher Jessica Stark got the win on the hill for Orangefield. She scattered four hits while striking out six.The Lady Mustangs (20-8, 10-3), with a win, could’ve played at Bridge City with a shot at a possible co-district championship. However, a couple errors and a passed ball spoiled that big chance.
Lady Mustang junior ace Rebekah Ragsdale was splendid in defeat. Ragsdale allowed four hits while striking out a whopping 13.
“The errors and a passed ball hurt us,” said Ragsdale. “We also had a couple opportunities to get on the board but we didn’t come through. We hit the ball hard, but it was right at people for the most part. Give Orangefield their due. They have a good little club and the scary thing about them is that they’re only going to better and better.”
The Lady Bobcats ended a scoreless affair with two outs in the top of the fourth.
Kayla Moore drew a walk from Ragsdale and went to third after Morgan Taylor laced a single to right. Moore was able to dart home for the game’s first run off a passed ball.
Orangefield added some insurance in the top of the seventh.
Taylor, who was 2-for-3, crushed a deep triple to right-centerfield and she later scored with two outs when Emily Ratcliff hit the ball between the mound and second base and ended up safe on a mishandled throw at first.
WO-S left two runners on in the bottom half of the first.
Britni Revis reached on an error and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Jaynes. Kristin LeBouef had an infield single, moving Revis to third. Stark got out of the inning as she got Amanda Villasen to ground out down the first-base line.
WO-S posted another threat in the fifth but came away empty-handed again.
Kelli Bilbo had a leadoff single to right and with one out Amanda Ulbrich, who was 2-for-2, singled to right as well. However, Stark got out of it by striking out Revis and then getting Jaynes to ground out.
WO-S will close out the regular season on the road at Bridge City as the Lady Mustangs will await either Coldspring or Shepherd in the Class 3A Region III playoffs next week while the Lady Bobcats close out their season with a home date against Hardin-Jefferson.