Lady Lion softball needed just six innings to defeat Shepherd 11-1 Tuesday. Just three weeks before, Shepherd dealt Livingston a nine-run loss in San Jacinto County.
“They beat us last time 13-4 and we couldn't do anything right,” Lady Lion coach Heather Mosser said. “We were not going to do that on this field tonight. That was our mentality going into this. I am real fired up for sure. I am super proud of my team for stepping up and playing the way that we are supposed to, and the way that we can. Eleven to one run-ruling a team that beat us earlier in the year, it is a feeling that I am so happy they got to experience.”
Livingston started early, scoring three in the bottom of the first. Taylor Wright beat out an infield single and stole second and third base. Shelby Dickerson delivered an RBI-single and Corinne Henderson followed her with a two-run shot over the center field wall. Livingston led 3-0 after one inning.
“Henderson hit that bomb in the first inning, and we never looked back,” Mosser said. “That set the tempo for the game and when you have a hitter like that in your lineup, she can change the moment of the game on any given swing.”
Shepherd received their lone run in the top of the second. With runners on the corners, a run down between first and second base lasted long enough to allow the run to score from third, making it 3-1.
Raigen Long singled and scored on a Wright double in the bottom of the fourth. Dickerson walked and Henderson drove two in with a triple.
An inning later, Jacie David reached on error and advanced three bags on three wild pitches to score. Brooke Anderson and Long walked, and Wright drove in a run with a sacrifice bouncer to first base. After five, Livingston had a commanding lead at 8-1.
Needing three runs to claim the win, Livingston did just that. Henderson reached on error, Breonna Niederhofer was hit by a pitch, David moved the runners over and plated one with a sacrifice grounder. Anderson doubled to bring in the tenth run for Livingston, and an RBI-triple by Long ended the contest.
Along with producing at the plate, Anderson turned in six innings of one-run ball from the circle. She limited Shepherd production, making quick work of Lady Pirate hitters in most frames.
“My kids showed up tonight and dominated,” Mosser said. “Aggressive base running was one of our mindsets. I wanted to run every time and it didn't matter if we got thrown out. It puts pressure on players to make plays, and they only got us twice.”
Livingston will now move on to the bi-district round of playoffs Friday, where they will take on Houston ISD’s Northside High at C.E. King, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.
