Lady Dawgs, Bulldawgs on opposite sides of blowouts
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove softball and baseball seasons are in full swing.
The Lady Dawgs suffered their first district loss to unbeaten Bryan Tuesday at home while the Bulldawgs are coming off their second-consecutive shutout in a 10-0 road win over Killeen where senior Dekan Radigan threw a no-hitter.
Coming into Tuesday’s contest, both the Bryan Lady Vikings and Copperas Cove Lady Bulldawgs were undefeated in district. The Lady Vikings would leave undefeated at 6-0 in District 12-6A as they hit five home runs as part of a 15-hit night and senior pitcher Jessica Adams set a school record with her 59th career win as she allowed just one earned run on four hits while striking out 13 and walking two in seven innings in her 59th win.
Neither team could take advantage early until Bryan opened the game up with a six-run top of the third inning. A two-run home run by Jessica Adams made it a 2-0 Bryan lead after junior Alexis Rodriguez singled to lead off the inning. A fielding error then allowed senior Jacque Adams to reach before a double by Kaedyn Filburn scored Jacque Adams and another Cove error off the bat of Ariana Williams allowed Filburn to score for a 4-0 Bryan lead. Sophomore Makayla Marquez then lined a two-run home run over the right field fence for the 6-0 score.
Jacque Adams added to the Lady Vikings lead with a solo home run to center field in the top of the fourth after a three up, three down bottom half of the third for Cove.
A lead-off single by Cove’s Meagan Hunt got a runner on for Cove in the bottom of the fourth, but three-consecutive strikeouts by Jessica Adams ended the threat.
The Lady Vikings added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run by Rodriguez and the second home run of the game by Jacque Adams for a 9-0 lead.
Bryan added their final run in the top of the seventh inning when Marquez connected on a two-out single followed by a double by Rodriguez that put runners on the corners. A walk by Jessica Adams then loaded the bases before Jacque Adams was hit by a pitch for the 10th run of the contest.
The Lady Dawgs managed to break the shutout in the bottom half of the inning when singles by Channing Perry and JoJo Hair drove in Alina Salazar, who reached with a one-out walk, for the 10-1 score.
Jacque Adams was 3 for 4 with a double, two home runs, three runs and three runs batted in to lead Bryan bats followed by Rodriguez (3 for 4, 2R, RBI, 2B, BB), Filburn (2 for 4, R, RBI, 2B), Madi Jordan (1 for 1, 2B), Marquez (2 for 4, R), Maci Ramirez (1 for 4, R, 2RBI), Jessica Adams (1 for 4, R, 2RBI, HR, BB), and Kylie Hernandez (1 for 5).
Perry was 2 for 3 to lead the Lady Dawgs followed by Hair (1 for 3, RBI) and Hunt (1 for 3).
Cove senior pitcher Brooke Schmidt allowed 10 runs (six earned) on 15 hits while striking out five and walking two in seven innings.
Meanwhile in Killeen, the Bulldawgs moved to 2-1 in district play after their 10-0 shutout of Killeen. The Bulldawgs’ pitching staff have given up just one hit in their last two district games after allowing nine hits to Belton in the district opener while combining for 21 runs on 16 hits in the two shutouts.
The Bulldawgs took an early lead with a four-run top of the second inning. An error and a hit batsman allowed two runners on for Cove before a single by Jace Johnson scored David Cimmino and courtesy runner Collin Sparks. Benjamin Izquierdo, who walked to reach, scored on a dropped third strike. Cove added the final run of the inning when Johnson scored on a wild pitch.
After the Roos went three up, three down in the bottom of the second, the Bulldawgs added three more runs in the top of the third.
Dylan Martinez singled to lead off the inning before Cimmino was hit by a pitch for the second consecutive at-bat before a one-out bunt by Izquierdo loaded the bases.
A single by Dominick Vasquez then scored Martinez and a walk by Antonio Espinoza scored Cimmino for the 6-0 lead. Izquierdo scored the final run on a passed ball to make it 7-0.
The Roos managed to get two runners on in the bottom of the third on a lead-off error and a one-out walk, but back-to-back strikeouts by Radigan ended the threat.
After neither team could get much going in the next two innings, the Bulldawgs added to their lead with another three-run inning.
A lead-off single by Johnson and a walk by Espinoza put two runners on before a balk by the Killeen pitcher scored Johnson from third after advancing on a wild pitch. Espinoza then scored on a passed ball for the 9-0 lead.
The final run came on an RBI double by Cimmino that scored courtesy runner Eli Martinez in for the catcher Russel Cochran who drew a walk to reach.
Johnson was 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs to lead the Bulldawgs’ eight hits followed by Cimmino (1 for 2, 2R, RBI, 2B), Izquierdo (1 for 1, 2R, 2BB), Vasquez (1 for 3, RBI), Sanders (1 for 3, 2B, BB), D. Martinez (1 for 4, R), and Espinoza (0 for 2, R, RBI, 2BB).
Radigan allowed no runs on no hits while striking out 12 and walking one in six innings on the bump.
Killeen Pitcher Jack Mellon suffered the loss. He allowed six runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out three and walking two in two innings pitched.
The Lady Dawgs and Bulldawgs are both on the road tonight with the Lady Dawgs (4-1 in District 12-6A) going to Harker Heights to face the Lady Knights while the Bulldawgs (2-1 in 12-6A) will be traveling to Ellison High School to face the Eagles.