2 weeks Ago By By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin Daily News
With a ton of returning talent, the Lufkin Lady Panthers' softball team showed off some of that potential by racing out to a nine-run lead after six innings. In the seventh inning, the Hudson Lady Hornets showed they had plenty of offensive pop of their own. In the end, Lufkin had enough to hold off a furious seventh-inning Hudson rally to secure a 10-7 win in the season opener at Lufkin High School Monday night.
Lufkin pounded out 15 hits before almost putting the 10-run mercy rule into effect with a 10-1 run lead in the sixth inning. But after the Lady Panthers left the potential winning run at third base, Hudson almost made them pay in a seventh inning that featured six runs on four hits. Amanda Crocker picked up the win for the Lady Panthers in the pitching circle.
She was stellar through six innings when she allowed only one earned run on four hits. Anesia Hernaandez led Hudson's hitting attack with a double, two singles and an RBI. Five other Lady Panthers added two hits.
Langston Arrington took the loss for the Lady Hornets. She was effective through the better part of four innings before an untimely error allowed the Lady Panthers to open things up. Balister McCain was effective in relief for Hudson.
Trinity Wells led Hudson's hitters with a triple, single and an RBI. Both pitchers worked out of some early trouble before Lufkin put up a run in the second inning. Hernandez roped a double to the left field fence, and Marleigh McClendon hit an opposite-field single.
Hernandez scored on a double steal to make it 1-0. Lufkin tacked on another run in the third inning on an Akira Smallwood sacrifice fly. The Lady Panthers seemed to break things open in the fourth inning when they put up a five spot.
Addley Dean had a sharp RBI single up the middle and Hernandez delivered an RBI single to left. Marleigh McClendon followed with a high fly ball that looked like it would get Hudson out of the inning. However, it was dropped, letting two runs score.
Smallwood delivered an RBI double over the left fielder's head that made it 7-0. Hudson got its first run of the game when Grace Hamel hit a leadoff single and eventually scored on an Addy Hebert sacrifice fly. Lufkin put up its last three runs in the sixth inning on a two-run single from Naitira Young before Addisyn Garrett smoked an RBI double to right.
Hudson didn't go down without a fight. Hebert's second sacrifice fly of the game made it 10-2 and Tori Horton followed with an RBI single up the middle. Wells' RBI single center made it 10-4.
Kenley Clifton followed with a two-run single to right and Sanders' sacrifice fly made it 10-7. But with the potential tying run on deck, Crocker delivered a strikeout that gave the Lady Pack the win. Other Lufkin hitters were Brianna Villanueva (2 singles), Garrett (double, RBI), Dean (2 singles, RBI), Marleigh McClendon (2 singles), Smallwood (double, single, 2 RBIs) and Young (double, single, 2 RBIs).
Other Hudson hitters were Hebert (single, 2 RBIs), Sanders (double, RBI), Hamel (single), Horton (single, RBI), Avery Fondren (single) and Kenley Clifton (single, 2 RBIs). Hudson and Lufkin will both compete in the Turf Classic starting Thursday. The Lady Panthers and Lady Hornets will serve as hosts at their respective fields.
Hudson (0-1) will face Nacogdoches at 8 a.m. and Mabank at 4:45 p.
m. Lufkin (1-0) will host Groveton at 8 a.m.
and Elkins at 6:30..
