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Plano heads to top of district
By Andrew Snyder Staff Writer
Plano West has company at the top of District 8-5A. With its 5-1 win over the Lady Wolves, Plano Senior inserted itself back into the running to be the district’s best.
“After Tuesday night’s game,” said Cynthia Zea, Plano head coach. “I didn’t think this team could possibly match the level of intensity they showed there. They were so fired up and they wanted to win so badly. I didn’t think it was possible but these girls came out and they were even better.”
The Lady Wildcats took the game under control with a third inning hitting spree. Both teams had a point on board at this time n the Lady Wildcats via a wild throw from West which allowed junior Vonnie Martin, who went two-for-three with double doubles, to score and the Lady Wolves on a double from senior Amy Miller which drove in senior Laura Terrell n and the game continued to ramp up. The quick outs that had characterized at bats so far where dropped and West wasn’t given the time to compose itself. Plano came into the third swinging the bat at its hardest yet and knocked in two more runners, sophomore Taylor Jensen on a single from freshman Kristen Miles and Miles on a single from freshman Mackenzie Velasquez, before ending the inning with a strikeout. Velasquez went two-for-three with two singles, a stolen base and an RBI.
Looking for revenge, the Lady Wolves were shutdown by the Plano defense. After allowing senior Kayla Millette to single onto first base, the Lady Wildcats swept her back off for the first out while allowing junior Dayna Purl to take her place. Things almost turned as sophomore Claire Roeschke took the plate and nailed the ball along the left foul line, but inches before the ball could slip into the outfield freshman Kat Batey stuck out her glove and snagged it back. The crucial save was followed by a strikeout, junior pitcher Abbi Frakis had three total across her seven innings on the mound, to maintain Plano’s lead.
“Abbi Frakes pitched an amazing game,” Zea said. “Like she has been all year. We got great pitching, we played amazing defense and we got timely hitting. If you can do that, most of the time you’re going to come out on top.”
West didn’t come any closer to tightening up the game. The Lady Wolves shored up their defense and sent the Lady Wildcats back onto the field after three rapid fourth inning outs, two of which came via strikeout, but keeping Plano’s score the same wouldn’t help. On West’s turn at the plate to open the fifth nothing changed as Martin single handedly accounted for the first two outs.
“I’m just proud of them,” Zea said. “Unbelievably proud.”
Safe zones couldn’t be found and in the sixth inning, when West most needed to prevent them, the Lady Wildcats put two more points on the board despite leading off with two outs. All the Lady Wolves needed was one more, but Plano didn’t give it to them. Instead, it substituted a single from junior Erin Hasek, who had just entered the game to pinch hit, a double from Jensen n which brought Hasek back around to home n a single form junior Macy Burr that loaded the bases and a closing hit from Miles that forced another error and sent Jensen in for the games’ final score.
“We made a few more mistakes than we’ve been making so far this year,” Ledsome said.
With nothing to do but defend their lead, Plano almost fell into a hole in the final inning. After a leadoff out, the Lady Wolves allowed junior Breanna Phelps to make her way on base with a single, sophomore Stephanie Morgan to walk on and senior Terrell to add another single and load the bases. In position to turn the game upside down West fizzled out. Phelps was thrown out on her trip home and senior Christina Roosmalen struck out to end the game fully in the Lady Wildcats favor.
West dropped their first game of the district season in one of its most disappointing performances.
“We know we didn’t play our best game,” Ledsome said. “We just have to pick it back up and move on.
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