LG Baseball & Softball Have Big Week on the Diamond
Both the La Grange baseball and softball teams had rollercoaster starts to the season. But since the games have
But since the games have started really counting in district play, La Grange has really looked good. After starting the season
After starting the season 1-13-1, the Leps baseball team rattled off a four-game win -streak including 22-1 and 17-0 victories over Austin Eastside in their first two district games last week.
Meanwhile, the La Grange girls have been even more impressive.
The Lady Leps started the season losing as many as they won through a tough non-district schedule, but since starting district play they are 5-0, including Tuesday’s win over state ranked Smithville and Friday’s 17-0 pounding of Austin LBJ.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been 5-0 in district (at least four years). The improvement I’ve seen just since the start of district has been amazing,” said head coach Amanda Arlund. “They have found their groove.”
Nowhere was that more apparent than in last Tuesday’s 6-5, eight-inning win at state-ranked Smithville.
“We were not going to lose that game no matter what,” said La Grange outfielder Haylie Cooper, one of the stars of that game after she had three hits, three runs and threw out the potential game-tying run at home to clinch the win.
“Tuesday, from the minute we stepped off the bus, there was a different vibe. That attitude and the energy was amazing. After the game I was like, I don’t know if I want to throw up or cry,” Arlund said.
“Having a tougher preseason and going through all the losses we did I think really helped pull us together,” Cooper said.
Against LBJ, Alyssa Liccioni pitched a complete-game one-hitter with six strikeouts.
Haylie Cooper, Avery Marshall and Madi Schroeder all had two hits and scored twice. Schroeder and Avery Koehl hit triples. Marshall drove in three and Liccioni scored three times.
The Lady Leps (14-13-1 overall) host Austin Eastside Friday at 7 p.m.
On the baseball diamond against Eastside Friday, La Grange’s Brock Loehr pitched three innings of one-hit, seven strikeout ball followed by Brayden Horton, who pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four.
Offensively Bennett Barber had three hits, drove in two and scored two. Cameron Kruse, Kadyn Hall, Trenton Barnes and Ty Stark all had two hits.
Barnes drove in three.
La Grange (5-14-1 overall and 2-0 in district) had 24 hits Tuesday against Eastside and 16 more Friday.
“You put the ball on a tee with nine guys out there and you might not get that many hits,” La Grange head coach Robert Barber said. “We’re having a lot better approaches at the plate, a lot better at bats and we’re hitting a lot of line drives.”
The Leps now face a crucial week as they try to keep their momentum going. They host Giddings Tuesday at 7 p.m. and they play at Giddings Friday at 7 p.m.
Those early season struggles are now in the rear-view mirror.
“We’re feeling a lot better than we were earlier in the year,” Barber said. “I know things didn’t go well early for us, but the kids stayed positive. We want to win every game, but in the end it’s those 10 district games that matter and we’re going to try to keep this momentum going.”