A strong start propelled the Odessa High softball team to an 11-6 victory against crosstown rival Permian in District 2-6A play Saturday at the Ratliff Softball Complex.
Nivea Saenz led the Lady Bronchos with two home runs and seven RBIs.
“I thought they had a lot of focus and energy today,” Odessa High coach Rachel Pena said. “They wanted to prove something and they did that.”
The teams faced off earlier this season, with Permian claiming a 10-9 victory in extra innings.
The Lady Bronchos played solid defense to start the contest, retiring the first three Permian batters in order in the top of the first inning.
That helped Odessa High build some confidence, grabbing the game’s first lead with a three-run homer from Saenz in the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Panthers responded with three hits in the top of the second but were unable to create clear scoring chances.
The Lady Bronchos struck again in the bottom of the inning with Meghan Gattis’ two-out, two-run homer to center to keep the offensive momentum flowing for Odessa High.
Diveli Cherry followed that up with a single to right field, showing her speed by beating the throw to first base.
An RBI single from Saenz drove Cherry in, who ran in from second base.
With Odessa High leading by six, the Lady Panthers started taking advantage of defensive errors to slowly cut into the deficit.
Permian scored four times off mistakes in the game, with the first coming from Anyssa Cruz who reached home off a passed ball in the top of the third.
Madilyn Martinez, Tiggy Rayos and Iliana Garcia were the other three Lady Panthers to score after errors in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Pena wants to see her team stay mentally tough after mistakes like those against their rival.
“It shows a lot when we can recover from those, errors are going to happen,” Pena said. “It’s how we recover and I thought we recovered well.”
After the first error, the Lady Bronchos brought in two runners to extend their lead to seven runs in the third.
Another Saenz two-run homer in the fourth gave Odessa High some breathing room heading into the late stages of the game.
Permian went on to outscore Odessa High 6-3 after the fourth inning, but it wasn’t enough to catch up on the scoreboard.
Martinez and Taylor Ramirez led the Lady Panthers with one RBI each.
Permian coach Angela Arebalos said her team struggled with adjusting against the Lady Bronchos.
The Lady Panthers are now on a three-game losing streak after falling against Abilene High and Wolfforth Frenship.
Arebalos wants to see her players keep things simple to get out of the skid.
“These kids have been playing for so long,” Arebalos said. “It’s not the end of the world, we’re still in it, any team can beat anybody any day.
“Our district is tough, but if we bring it, we have the ability to do it.”
Odessa High has won two consecutive games after defeating San Angelo Central 7-0 Friday on the road.
The Lady Bronchos (10-8-1 overall, 5-4 district) continue their season against Midland Legacy at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Midland, while the Lady Panthers (17-14, 3-6) will face Midland High at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Ratliff Softball Complex.
Pena said her team still has room to grow as it heads into the late stages of its campaign.
“I feel like we haven’t peaked yet, that’s for sure,” Pena said. “We’re trying to get them there.”
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
