The Odessa High softball team came into its Tuesday matchup with Wolfforth Frenship hoping to gain positive momentum after securing a playoff spot last week.
It didn’t take long for the Lady Bronchos to find that energy in their 9-6 win over the Tigers in their regular season finale at the Ratliff Softball Complex.
That win secured the No. 2 seed for Odessa High (19-7 overall, 9-3 District 2-6A) in the playoffs, setting up a home matchup with El Paso Pebble Hills in the bi-district round. Details of that matchup are still to be determined.
Wolfforth Frenship (18-7, 7-4) got the scoring started in the contest, taking a 1-0 lead off as Sydnee Bowlin scored off an RBI single from Madison Stewart.
That lead didn’t last long, as Meghan Gattis immediately swung things in Odessa High’s favor with a deep home run to center field to lead things off for Odessa High.
It was the spark of a four-run inning for the Lady Bronchos, which they held until the top of the fourth inning.
Frenship responded with three runs, starting with a line drive by Makayla Garcia to score Abbey Tarr and AB Prestridge to make it 4-3. Erin Boles followed that up with an RBI single to bring the game even at 4-4.
The Lady Bronchos regained the lead in the bottom of the inning after Diveli Cherry reached home safely off a sacrifice fly by Lisbeth Dominguez, who drove in two runs.
Jenna Spencer extended the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with a home run as part of a three-run inning for the Lady Bronchos. Abegail Molina capped off the scoring with a home run of her own in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Tigers looked to cut things close after a two-run home run by Maya Mongelli in the top of the seventh inning but the Lady Bronchos were able to hold on.
Odessa High head coach Rachel Pena was happy to see everyone in her lineup contribute with base shots, an aspect her team struggled with in some of its previous games.
“Keeping with our consistency and staying with our routine will help,” Pena said. “We’re open on Friday, so we can sit back and see what happens.”
Gattis pitched a complete game for Odessa High, recorded four strikeouts in the victory. Picking up a win against one of the top teams in the district helps the team’s confidence, Gattis said.
“I feel like it makes us closer as a team,” she added.
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Odessa High 9, Wolfforth Frenship 6
Tuesday, Ratliff Softball Complex
Frenship…….. 100 300 2 — 6 9 5
Odessa………. 400 130 x — 9 11 2
Erin Boles, Kynlee Bowlin (5) and Maya Mongelli. Meghan Gattis and Abegail Molina. W — Gattis. L — Boles. HR — Wolfforth Frenship: Mongelli. Odessa High: Jenna Spencer, Gattis, Molina.
Records — Wolfforth Frenship 16-8 Overall, 7-4 District 2-6A; Odessa High 19-7, 9-3.
