Hawks Make Adjustments in Win over Taylor, 9-7
Hawks talking it over after comeback win over Taylor.
The Lady Hawks Softball squad found themselves in deep doo doo as their game with Taylor started getting in the later innings and then after stepping back something happened that opened the floodgates that had 6 runs scored in their last two frames that now has CL starting District 28-4A play next week with a 9-9 record.
Way to Go Hawks!
There was actually two main ingredients that went into this win with having Maddy Puente retiring the final 6 batters she faced that helped secure this comeback victory.
“We had had been telling them (the team) since the 2nd inning about making adjustments because their pitcher had a rising fast ball,” Head Coach Hayley Galloway said exasperated. “This was an iffy game until the 5th inning when they made those adjustments….If we put the ball in play then we can let them make the mistakes.”
That was certainly the case as the Hawks started forcing the Duck’s defense to make plays instead of walking back to their dugout after striking out.
The Lake did start off with some left-over runs from their last game vs. Burnet when Bailey Bryan and Marley Carrizales reached first on walks. Base on Balls will have a way of scoring and a Duck error would help in scoring 2 runs for a 2-0 lead going into the 2nd inning.
Bryan has been leading with her bat this season and that certainly did not change in this win, after reaching base on all four of her appearances. In fact that was the ammo with Bryan and Carrizales throughout this contest.
Bailey Bryan continues strong Senior Season as she prepares for district play.
“We were finally making adjustments that we needed to make,” Bryan said in response to why it took the team so late to make those adjustments. “We could not (as a team) catch up to her pitch but once we started staying disciplined and adjusting by moving back in the box was when we made our move.”
That would be the start, but having the next 4 Inning in Taylor’s domain resulted in scoring runs that would eventually have the Ducks floating on water to a tune of a, 7-3 lead with just two more innings and a win.
It was a dominant game for the Ducks before the adjustment aspect talked about earlier took the control for a learning experience in helping for those future district battles to come.
Those rascally Ducks got their final two runs off a 2-run homer with two outs in the 5th inning. That last out was a soft pop-up that Maddy Puente had to dive for that ended any more damage.
Way to be a Hero Hawks!!
That Taylor homer helped get the Hawks back in gear with a nice response that had CL scoring one run in the bottom of that same inning when Bryan started a single and would score on Jessie Melendez double that cut the Ducks lead to 3 runs, 7-4.
The next 2 innings had Maddy Puente on target with a 76% strike ratio and finished by striking out the side 4 of the 7 Duck batters.
CL finally started applying their learning experience in those last two innings when the Hawks proved to be the superior bird with a 5 run rally that would secure this win.
That last inning for the Hawks started with a strike out for Kaylee Puente, but that K was not like the rest of those at bats up to that point. Kaylee Puente was much more disciplined on this out and the Duck’s would see more of that same type of approach for the remainder of this game.
Canyon City Grill says Go Hawks!!
Rachel Tucker would draw her 2nd walk of the game that was followed by a Kenzie fielders choice that would put those two runners on 2nd and 3rd base after that Taylor error on that play. The top of the batting order would take it from here with the next four Hawks reaching base.
Bryan started with a walk that loaded the bases with still one out that would bring up Carrizales with a double and a shrinking lead for the visitors, 7-6. A four pitch walk to Angie Rodriguez had Hawks on the Duck’s pond for Maddy Puente who had been struggling at the plate.
That would not continue as Maddy Puente had a hard single to left field that gave The Lake a lead for the first time since the first inning, 8-7.
With two outs, Sara Mefford would put the finishing touches to this win after hitting CL’s 4th double of this contest and getting that all important insurance run, 9-7.
Sara Mefford had important insurance rbi with her double to the wall.
“We were at the front of the (batters) box at first and was just looking at her strikes but we made some adjustments,” Mefford quipped. “This was a big accomplishment for us as we usually get down when we make mistakes and this type of game will give us confidence because we have a lot of potential as a team.”
Five of Canyon Lake’s 7 hits for the game were realized in those last two frames and now have a 6 game winning streak. After a brutal start against some tough 5A & 6A Schools, the Hawks, will go into district play with just one of those nine losses coming from a school with the same 4A moniker and that will let the CL Nation know soon if those early schedule lessons will come to fruition much like this Taylor game was able to come out with a win.
Canyon Lake will be back in action next Friday in Boerne when they open District 28-4A when the Junior Varsity starts at 5pm and then the Varsity taking the field at 7pm.
Go Hawks!!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Taylor 0 2 2 1 2 0 0 7 9 2 CL Hawks 2 1 0 0 1 5 X 9 7 2 ab r h bi 2b bb so misc Bailey Bryan 2 3 2 1 1 2 0 sb Marley Carrizales 2 2 1 2 1 2 0 sb Angie Rodriguez 3 1 0 0 0 1 3 Maddy Puente 4 0 1 2 0 0 1 Jessie Melendez 4 0 1 1 1 0 3 roe Sara Mefford 4 0 2 1 1 0 1 Kaylee Puente 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 Rachel Tucker 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 Kenzie Sayles 3 1 0 0 0 0 2 fc Totals 26 9 7 7 4 7 14 Pitching ip h r er bb so misc W L Maddy Puente 7.0 9 7 6 3 8 hb 5 2 Pitches-Strikes: 122-78 64%
