ORANGEFIELD – Getting a strong pitching outing from Kaylee Ancelot and superb defense behind her, the Orangefield Lady Bobcats got themselves back in the heart of the District 24-4A softball race with a big 3-0 shutout of the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bears at Lady Bobcat Field Tuesday night.

The Orangefield win now puts the Lady Bobcats and Lady Bears into a fourth-place tie with both just being a half game back of third-place Hardin-Jefferson.

Ancelot went the full seven innings for the Lady Bobcats. She scattered four hits while striking out two and walking three.

Jenna James absorbed the loss on the LC-M hill but pitched well, allowing just two hits while striking out four in four innings.

Brianna Frenzel tossed the final two frames, allowing a hit while striking out two and walking one.
The Lady Bobcats tallied their first run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Kristin Broussard led off with a single to right and went to second and Ancelot reached on a fielder’s choice.
With two outs, Broussard was able to sprint home on a wild pitch.
Autumn Frost got on after a third-strike passed ball and Kinley McFarlin loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch but James got out of the jam by getting Morghan Kelley to ground out.

Orangefield tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Karlye Bramblett got it going with a leadoff double to left centerfield and Broussard drew a walk.

Haley Fontenot reached on a fielder’s choice and an errant throw to third allowed Bramblett to come across and score.

Broussard scored to make it 3-0 after Ancelot sent a sacrifice fly to rightfield.

Haley Fontenot had a two-out single for the Lady Bobcats in the bottom
of the first.

In the top of the second, Ally White had a one-out single to right for the Lady Bears. She went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Ashley Short fly out to centerfield but Ancelot worked out of it by striking out Shelby Smith.

For the Lady Bears in the top of the third, Maddie Murdock drew a one-out walk, swiped second and went to third on a Brianna Frenzel groundout but Ancelot got Kayla Manuel to ground out at first.

LC-M missed a golden opportunity in the top of the fourth.
Jone’e Villanueva led off with a sharp single past short.  Renna Toomey promptly reached on an error.  White would get to first on a fielder’s choice but the Lady Bobcats made two great throws at the plate to take out both Villanueva and Toomey in the series and then Ancelot got Short to fly out.

Murdock slapped a two-out double in the top of the seventh for LC-M but was left stranded.

Both teams will look to stay in the mix Friday when LC-M returns home to face Silsbee while Orangefield makes a trip to second-place Silsbee.