CL Hawks Goes Yard in Win over Hondo, 6-3
Welcome Home!!! Bailey Bryan touches all the bases after going Yard! (photo by Karen Holmes)
Bailey Bryan continued her hot hitting streak when she saved her best for last with a center field blast against the wind and a walk-off 3-run homer and Canyon Lake win over Hondo, 6-3.
The win keeps CL’s District 28-4A record without a blemish going 2-0 in a round robin schedule that will have the Hawks ready to travel to Fredericksburg for a Thursday battle.
“I knew going in this game would be tougher than I would want it to be,” Head Coach John Gallagher quipped. “Hondo is a pretty solid club.”
Coach Gallagher continued, “We got down early and we never stopped fighting.”
Hondo entered this district game needing a win as the Owls had lost their first two district games and would not want another loss on that resume.
This Owl team served notice in that first inning scoring 2 runs on 2 singles and a walk for a lead that would stand for the first 6 innings of this contest.
Canyon Lake answered that first blow with a single from Marley Carrizales who would advance to 3rd base on a stolen base and error. That would set up a rbi after a Maddy Puente double in the power alley and a one run deficit.
Hondo would score again in the 2nd stanza with 3 more singles and a walk, the inning was over on that last Owl hit when Bailey Bryan would get an assist with her throw to home plate keeping the damage to just one run and a manageable game still within reach.
The Owls would only muster two more hits from the 4th inning on as Maddy Puente and Maggie Banks would silent the Hondo bats with just one single and a walk that was picked off in a run down after a Kay Puente throw to first base and a tag out to second in their final inning.
The Hawks would inch closer when they scored in their half of the 3rd inning with Carrizales leading off with a hit scoring on a Kenzie Sayles hit and 2-3 deficit. Canyon Lake left 3 players on base and missed an opportunity go take a lead….but to no avail.
After that score the pitchers from both sides would get into a groove that would set up the heroics in the bottom of the 7th inning.
Maggie Banks relieved Maddy Puente starting the 4th inning and would allow just one hit the rest of the way keeping these Owls still within reach of one run sending this battle to extra innings or 2 runs for a win.
Angie Rodriguez would get things rolling with a power alley single that had a great defense by Hondo to keep that blast to a one base hit. This was just the 3rd inning that had a lead-off hitter getting on base and each time that was accomplished a run was scored by The Lake. This would be no different for The Hawks.
“I was hoping it was in the gap,” Rodriguez recalled. “I had to wait on the ball and when I rounded first base I had to see where it (the ball) was.”
Rodriguez mentioned this since 1st Base Coach Mary-Beth Gallagher put a stop sign on advancing to second base.
“I was telling her (Rodriguez) to be patient and wait for a great pitch,” Coach Gallagher said in response on his conference with Rodriguez before she walked to the plate.”
Jessie Melendez would ground to the short stop for a fielders choice and the first out. Carrizales was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second and then a walk to Sayles loaded the bases.
That is when the hottest batter on the team would take center stage as Bryan would have a chance of keeping the Hawks in the game driving in one run or have another chance for a hit as the game had Bryan Ofer from the plate thus far.
Homecoming at the Hawk Nest!!
A passed ball would score Melendez, who just made the plate by sliding under the tag by the pitcher on that play and a tied score. Bryan battled at the plate and had a full count when she sent the ball soaring over the center field scoreboard.
“Before Jesse (Melendez) scored, I was just saying, ‘I need a hit…I need a hit’,” Bryan said with eloquence. “I felt relieved when she scored and then I was just thinking to get it (ball) out to the green!”
In Softball the infield is just dirt and the green is where the outfield starts. On the ‘Yard’ shot Bryan remembered, “I knew it was gone….and I just take a lot of reps and hitting becomes easier with all those reps that I do.”
That Scoreboard had not been working the whole game and Bryan was thinking a jolt by the softball might get it working again. If you must know, the Scoreboard did show a final score of 9-3 so that hit certainly put a charge in those circuits for this Hawk win.
Bryan started the game playing centerfield which is not her only field position as where she plays defense depends on who might be in the circle and in the 3rd inning her defense would save one or more runs when Hondo threatened with the bases loaded and two outs.
The Hit Man says ‘Keep getting Hits Hawks!!
An Owl player had a hit that diving fast and Bryan had to put on some after burners in order to get to the ball….that she did with a shoe-string catch (literally) and no runs for the visitors.
“I knew it was short,” Bryan said. “If needed I would have dived for it.” That was not needed and Bryan closed on the difference when she is playing outfield or infield. “The outfield has more urgency….and the infield I just need to get the ball to first base as fast as I can.”
The win would be just what the Doctor ordered as CL’s next opponent will be a very good Fredericksburg club and this contest will be on the road to boot.
Canyon Lake did not have an error which is another key to this win as the Hawks continue to make some noise in those later innings and keeping their chances for a win.
What does this win mean? “It means everything confidence wise,” Coach Gallagher closed. “We came back and beat Hondo and that will give us the confidence for Fredericksburg this Thursday.”
Fun game and now some more ‘Yard’ work will go a long way for future success!
Go Hawks!!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Hondo Owls 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 2 CL Hawks 1 0 1 0 0 0 4* 6 6 0 (*one out when winning run scored) ab r h bi 2b hr bb so misc Marley Carrizales 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 hbp sb Kenzie Sayles 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 sac Bailey Bryan 3 1 1 3 0 1 0 0 hbp Maggie Banks 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 roe Maddy Puente 3 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 fc Adriana Peaslee 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 hbp Angie Rodriguez 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 pr Rachel Tucker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 KT Cox 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 ph Jessie Melendez 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 fc totals 25 6 6 5 1 1 1 2 pitching ip h r er bb so misc W L Maddy Puente 3.0 7 3 3 3 3 wp 0 0 Maggie Banks 4.0 1 0 0 1 3 7 6 totals 7.0 8 3 3 4 6 pitches-strikes: Maddy Puente 69-36 Maggie Banks 41-29
