Scoop27
04-02-2016, 08:02 PM
From The Brazosport Facts
WEST COLUMBIA — There is now a three-way tie at the top of the District 28-4A softball standings after the Columbia Lady ’Necks beat Sweeny, 4-1, on Thursday at Lady ’Neck Field.
“Big win, and the second half is going to be very interesting,” Columbia coach Shelly Murphy said.
Sweeny (4-1, 15-4-1) came in unbeaten, but is now tied with Columbia (4-1, 20-2) and Needville (4-1).
“I am not going to rule out a couple of other teams who could step up and be a spoiler for somebody,” Murphy said.
The Lady ’Necks jumped on top right away in the first inning.
Celeste Loughman and Alexandria Lewis both walked against Sweeny pithcer Lauren Myers. With runners on first and second base, Taylor Murphy laid down a sacrifice bunt to third, but Kirsten Hansen overthrew the first baseman to allow two runs to score. Taylor Murphy moved to second on the error.
“I tell the girls all of the time, ‘Don’t be a selfish player, sometimes you have to put we in front of me,’ and I thought Taylor laid down a beautiful bunt and it worked in our favor,” Shelly Murphy said. “Execution and doing the little things worked for us today.”
With one out and courtesy runner Stevie Kersh at third base, Naomi Mata’s groundout to third scored Kersh to push Columbia’s lead to 3-0.
That score stood until the top of the fourth, when Sweeny pushed a run across.
Allie Robertson (2-for-3) led off with a double off the left-field fence. With two outs, Myers helped her own cause when her bloop single landed between the shortstop and left fielder. There was a big collision in the outfield allowing Robertson to score.
Katy Schaefer got the other big hit for the Lady Bulldogs when she crushed a double on an 0-1 count off the left-field wall with one out in the fifth frame. She would be stranded at second, however, as Taylor Murphy sat down the next two batters.
“I thought it was a roller coaster type of game for us and we were a bit flat,” Sweeny coach Melissa Hansen said. “There were no big moments happening for us and our intensity was a bit low for us.”
Columbia got four big hits off Myers in the bottom of the fifth, including Taylor Murphy’s (2-for-3, error) double to left field that drove in Lewis, who reached on an infield hit.
Sweeny again got off to a decent start in the top of the sixth when Robertson led off with a single to left. But a strikeout and two flyouts induced by Taylor Murphy ended the frame.
“I thought we weren’t consistent enough through the seven innings, we were a bit off on the circle and had some miscommunication,” Melissa Hansen said. “But we have to get the sticks to rally behind her, especially when we had some big moments happen.”
Murphy had six strikeouts with no walks.
“She was hitting her spots really, really well, changeup was working well tonight and it helped late in the innings,” Shelly Murphy said. “All of her pitches were working and they got a couple of big shots out there, but the defense came through for us.”
Columbia continues league play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Needville, and Sweeny hosts Brazosport at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
WEST COLUMBIA — There is now a three-way tie at the top of the District 28-4A softball standings after the Columbia Lady ’Necks beat Sweeny, 4-1, on Thursday at Lady ’Neck Field.
“Big win, and the second half is going to be very interesting,” Columbia coach Shelly Murphy said.
Sweeny (4-1, 15-4-1) came in unbeaten, but is now tied with Columbia (4-1, 20-2) and Needville (4-1).
“I am not going to rule out a couple of other teams who could step up and be a spoiler for somebody,” Murphy said.
The Lady ’Necks jumped on top right away in the first inning.
Celeste Loughman and Alexandria Lewis both walked against Sweeny pithcer Lauren Myers. With runners on first and second base, Taylor Murphy laid down a sacrifice bunt to third, but Kirsten Hansen overthrew the first baseman to allow two runs to score. Taylor Murphy moved to second on the error.
“I tell the girls all of the time, ‘Don’t be a selfish player, sometimes you have to put we in front of me,’ and I thought Taylor laid down a beautiful bunt and it worked in our favor,” Shelly Murphy said. “Execution and doing the little things worked for us today.”
With one out and courtesy runner Stevie Kersh at third base, Naomi Mata’s groundout to third scored Kersh to push Columbia’s lead to 3-0.
That score stood until the top of the fourth, when Sweeny pushed a run across.
Allie Robertson (2-for-3) led off with a double off the left-field fence. With two outs, Myers helped her own cause when her bloop single landed between the shortstop and left fielder. There was a big collision in the outfield allowing Robertson to score.
Katy Schaefer got the other big hit for the Lady Bulldogs when she crushed a double on an 0-1 count off the left-field wall with one out in the fifth frame. She would be stranded at second, however, as Taylor Murphy sat down the next two batters.
“I thought it was a roller coaster type of game for us and we were a bit flat,” Sweeny coach Melissa Hansen said. “There were no big moments happening for us and our intensity was a bit low for us.”
Columbia got four big hits off Myers in the bottom of the fifth, including Taylor Murphy’s (2-for-3, error) double to left field that drove in Lewis, who reached on an infield hit.
Sweeny again got off to a decent start in the top of the sixth when Robertson led off with a single to left. But a strikeout and two flyouts induced by Taylor Murphy ended the frame.
“I thought we weren’t consistent enough through the seven innings, we were a bit off on the circle and had some miscommunication,” Melissa Hansen said. “But we have to get the sticks to rally behind her, especially when we had some big moments happen.”
Murphy had six strikeouts with no walks.
“She was hitting her spots really, really well, changeup was working well tonight and it helped late in the innings,” Shelly Murphy said. “All of her pitches were working and they got a couple of big shots out there, but the defense came through for us.”
Columbia continues league play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Needville, and Sweeny hosts Brazosport at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.