OMAHA-NAPLES, Texas-After a shaky start on defense, the Maud Lady Cardinals settled down, and went on to post a 10-3 victory over Detroit in a Region II-2A bi-district softball playoff game Thursday on Paul Pewitt's Lady Brahmas Field.
Maud (10-6) advances to next week's area round.
"I'm proud of the team that hung in there after the bad first inning," said Maud coach Sabrina Lange. "We hit the ball really well, and played good defense after that first inning. Allie (Houchens) pitched a fine game. The junior shut them down after the first inning."
Maud opened the game with three runs on three hits in the opening inning.
Ashley Barnette led off by beating out a bunt. After the first out, Rachel McAnally was hit by a pitch. After another out, Harley Dear singled home two runs, and Brianna Barnette's single scored the third run.
Detroit quickly got one run back on a single by Macie Stringer and double by Lauren Miller. Three errors followed that, leading to a pair of unearned runs that tied the score at 3-3.
After a scoreless second inning, the Cardinals banged out five hits for four runs in the third frame.
Houchens, Courtlyne Barnette and Ashley Barnette had a single each, while MacKenzie O'Brian and Brianna Barnette contributed a double apiece.
Maud scored its final three runs in the fourth inning.
McAnally and Houchens singled and Dear was hit by a pitch to load the bases. McAnally scored on O'Brian's grounder to second, and Courtlyne doubled home the final two runs.
Ashley Barnette paced the Cardinals' 15-hit attack with three singles, and five players had two hits each. They were McAnally, Houchens, O'Brian, Brianna Barnette and Courtlyne Barnette.
Stringer led the Lady Eagles with three singles.
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Allie Houchens and Emily Sykes. Kennedy Henderson and Lauren Miller. WP-Houchens. LP-Henderson.