ORANGEFIELD – In a quest to repeat as District 24-4A champions, the Bridge City Lady Cardinal softball team got off to a roaring start Monday night as they went to rival Orangefield and defeated the Lady Bobcats 8-1 in the district opener for both teams.

Lady Cardinal pitcher Kassidy Wilbur went the distance on the mound, scattering three Lady Bobcat hits while striking out 12 and walking two.

The Lady Cardinals picked up 10 hits off Lady Bobcat starter Kaylee Ancelot, who struck out five and walked one.

The Lady Cardinals struck for four runs in the top of the first inning, which included four straight hits.

Baili Thibodaux led off with a double to center and Faith Kaufman followed with an infield single.

Hannah Carpenter, who went 3-for-3, slapped a RBI single to right. Wilbur roped a two-run triple down the first base line to make it 3-0 and Caitlin Denison brought in Wilbur with a RBI groundout.

Ancelot had a leadoff double for the Lady Bobcats in the bottom of the second but was left stranded.

The Lady Cardinals scratched in a run in the top of the third.

Denison had a leadoff single to center and Meagan Sourdellia reached on an error that allowed Sourdellia to score.

Bridge City tallied a run in the fourth.

Thibodeaux had a leadoff single and went to third on a Kaufman sacrifice bunt and scored on a Carpenter RBI single to shallow right field.

The Lady Bobcats threatened in the bottom of the fourth.

Kristin Broussard drew a leadoff walk. Ancelot reached on a one-out error and Maleah Sauceda walked to load the bases. However, Wilbur struck out Kinley McFarlin and got Autumn Frost flied out to end the inning.

The Lady Cardinals made it 7-0 in the fifth frame.

Peyton Trapp drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a Sourdellia sacrifice bunt and to third on a Maggie Garcia groundout. Trapp scored on a deep fly ball to center by Abby Anderson that was dropped.

Bridge City added a run in the top of the sixth when Carpenter deliver a solo home run that sailed over the centerfield fence.

The Lady Bobcats got on the board in the bottom of the seventh.

McFarlin had a leadoff double to left centerfield and eventually scored off a Morghan Kelley RBI single to shallow right field.

The Lady Cardinals return home Friday to play host to Hamshire-Fannett while the Lady Bobcats visit Little Cypress-Mauriceville.