Lady Dawgs lose 4th-place battle with Temple
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove Lady Dawgs started strong in their battle for fourth place with Temple Tuesday night at Lady Dawg Field, but the Tem-Cats took sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot with 13 unanswered runs on the way to a 14-3 victory.
The Lady Dawgs answered a one-run top of the first inning with two runs of their own to take a 2-1 lead after one inning of action.
The Lady Dawgs connected on three-consecutive singles by Rylie Radigan, Jayda Carter and Madalyn Scribner before an error allowed Alina Salazar to reach and Radigan to score for the 1-all tie.
A single by pitcher Brooke Schmidt then scored Carter for the 2-1 Copperas Cove lead.
It was all Temple from that point on.
A two-run home run by Madison Wacker that scored Ashley Alcozer gave the Tem-Cats back the lead with one swing of the bat before Jaylin Kindles made it a 4-2 Temple lead with a solo home run over the centerfield fence.
Temple pitcher Hayli Hesse then kept the Cove bats off balance, sitting down nine of the next 10 Cove batters and the Temple offense added another run in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI ground out by Alena Salazar that scored Tayler Guerra, who reached on a single.
The Tem-Cats increased their lead to nine runs after a six-run top of the fifth inning.
Alexis Lewis singled and Alcozer was hit by a pitch to put runners on before a single by Guerra scored Lewis and Alcozer steals home for the 7-2 score.
An RBI double by Kindles then scored Guerra before an RBI single by Alena Salazar, another single by Makenna Holland and an error that allowed Lewis to reach made it an 11-2 Temple advantage.
Singles by Radigan and Scribner put runners on for Copperas Cove in the bottom half of the inning, but they left them stranded.
After another three-up, three-down inning for the Lady Dawgs, the Tem-Cats added three more runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Kindles connected on her second home run of the night to lead off the inning and give the Tem-Cats a 10-run advantage, 12-2.
Singles by Cameryn Stewart and Bryanna Salas and an error that allowed Holland to reach loaded the bases for Temple with no outs.
Stewart then scored on the ground out by Lydia Tanton and Salas scored on an RBI double by Alcoza for the 14-2 lead.
The Lady Dawgs added the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Emma Wasiak stole home after singling to reach and being batted to third on a single by Carter.
Kindles led the Tem-Cats with 3 for 4 hitting for three runs, three RBIs, two home runs and a walk. Guerra (3 for 4, 2R, RBI), Salas (3 for 5, 3R), Chloe Prentiss (2 for 3, R, BB), Alcoza (2 for 3, 2R, RBI), Holland (2 for 5, RBI), Wacker (1 for 5, R, RBI, HR) Alena Salazar (1 for 4, 3RBIs), Lewis (1 for 2, R) and Stewart (1 for 1, R) accounted for the rest of the Tem-Cats’ 19 hits.
Radigan and Carter were each 2 for 4 with a run followed by Salazar (2 for 3, RBI) Scribner (2 for 4), Schmidt (1 for 2, RBI) and Emma Wasiak (1 for 3, R) to account for the Lady Dawgs’ 10 hits.
Hesse picked up the win for Temple. She allowed three earned runs on 10 hits while striking out four and walking none in seven innings.
Schmidt suffered the loss for Cove. She allowed five earned runs on nine hits while striking out none and walking one in four innings of action.
The Lady Dawgs (13-12 overall, 4-4 in District 12-6A) get back to action at home tonight against the district-leading Belton Lady Tigers (8-0) to begin the second round of district play.
The Tem-Cats (5-3) travel to Harker Heights to face the Lady Knights (4-4).