Timely hitting.
That’s all the Odessa High Lady Bronchos needed.
With a chance to win the game in walk-off fashion, Odessa High left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh in a crucial District 2-6A softball game against the Wolfforth Frenship Tigers on Tuesday night at the Ratliff Softball Complex.
In the end, Frenship won 2-1 to stay tied atop the district with Permian.
Frenship pitcher Torrey Hogan had a masterful performance, striking out 12 batters and allowing three hits.
“Obviously, I’m gonna give that pitcher a lot of credit,” Odessa High head coach Rachel Pena said. “She kept us off balance and she did a good job tonight.
“(I) wish we would’ve made better adjustments, had timely hitting. We talked about learning from it, and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Odessa High worked out of an early jam in the top of the first after Frenship hit a pair of singles. The Tigers left the runners stranded when the rally died on a ground out to first and a strikeout.
The Lady Bronchos (21-5-1 overall 6-3 District 2-6A) were retired in order in the bottom half of the inning.
It was a classic pitcher’s duel. The game came down to who blinked first and who made the most mistakes.
Unfortunately, Odessa High blinked first.
Frenship (22-8, 8-1) pushed across a run on a groundout by Maya Mongelli in the top of the fourth.
Odessa High left nine runners stranded throughout the game. They had the situations presented to them; however, they couldn’t obtain that clutch moment.
The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth after Shay Hopkins scored from second on an error by the first baseman. Frenship could’ve blown the game way out of reach, but left the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the sixth, Odessa High had a chance to push a run across when Sierra Camacho advanced all the way to third on an error by the right fielder. Odessa High’s next three batters struck out to spoil the opportunity.
Down two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Skylar Herrera hit a solo home run to cut the deficit. Noeli Suarez was hit by pitch, then Christabelle Aguirre and Camacho drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.
The rally ended abruptly on a strikeout.
Camacho had a good outing, throwing a complete game with five strikeouts. Frenship had nine hits.
Suarez and Kaylean Ayala each finished 1 for 3 with a single, while Herrera went 1 for 4.
Hopkins led Frenship, going 2 for 4 with two singles, while Hogan finished 2 for 3 with two singles and a walk.
“I told them this is a playoff-type situation,” Frenship head coach Robby Dickenson said. “You have to win the tight games when the game (is) on the line, and we did.
“I’m proud of the way we competed. Odessa High played really well. They gave us everything they had, and it was just fortunate that we were able to scratch out a couple extra runs.”
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Frenship…….. 000 1100 — 2 9 2
Odessa High. 000 0001 — 1 3 3
Torrey Hogan and Caroline Kerr. Sierra Camacho and Myka High. W — Hogan. L — Camacho. HR — Odessa High: Skylar Herrera.
Records — Frenship (22-8 overall, 8-1 District 2-6A); Odessa High (21-5-1, 6-3).
