Lady Leps Win Big

Coming off a heartbreaking 10-9 last inning loss to Smithville Tuesday, the La Grange softball team needed to turn things around in a big way.

They did so Friday as a freshman pitcher and rejuvenated bats powered the Lady Leps to a 12-2 home win over Taylor.

“We were all very disappointed after the Smithville game,” said La Grange head coach Amanda Arlund. “They knew they had to bounce back, and that’s what they did.”

For that bounce-back Arlund turned to freshman pitcher Rielynn Hall, who in her first varsity district start in the circle pitched four scoreless innings before Taylor finally got to her in the fifth. She was relieved by Marissa Gonzalez, who got out of a jam to preserve a 7-2 La Grange lead.

“I just felt like it was the right time to start Rielynn,” Arlund said. “She didn’t have any weight on her shoulders from Tuesday’s game. It was a restart, I guess. Something to change it up.”

Hall was ready for the 

opportunity – once she got her nerves under control.

“I was shaking at the start of the game, but then I got in a rhythm,” Hall said. “These girls are like sisters to me, so they have made it an easy transition (to varsity).”

In the bottom of the fifth, La Grange’s Sarah Kay smacked an inside-the-park home run to drive in three and put the Lady Leps up 10-2.

“That was huge, that was the moment of the game,” Arlund said.

“I went up there thinking if I get a strike I’m going to hit it. I missed the first one, but as soon as I got another opportunity, I put my foot down and went for it,” Kay said.

Teagan Branch followed with a hit-by-pitch and she eventually came around to score on a Jena Jobb fielder’s choice. Haylie Cooper then reached on a fielder’s choice and raced home on a walk-off triple by Landri Hernandez as the 10-run mercy rule went into effect.

It was a big win for the Lady Leps who are now 2-1 in district and play at Caldwell Tuesday before hosting Giddings Friday at 7 p.m.

The Lady Leps didn’t let last Tuesday’s loss become a losing streak, and now will try to craft a winning streak to climb back into the district title race.

“This game, we came together as a team and put the mistakes of Tuesday behind us,” Kay said.