LONGVIEW, Texas-Liberty-Eylau put itself in the driver's seat of the Class 4A bi-district softball series against Canton Thursday.
The Lady Leopards built a 4-0 lead and then had to scratch out a go-ahead run late to secure a 5-4 victory over the Lady Eagles in Game 1 at Longview's Lady Lobo Field.
The series resumes today at Marshall's Lady Mav Field with a time change from the original scheduled game time. Game 2 will begin at 5:30 p.m., and if a third game is needed, it will follow a 30-minute intermission.
Bella Gunderson pitched three hitless innings to start the game for Liberty-Eylau (12-9) and finished with a 6-hitter, giving up four during a 4-run outburst by Canton (18-8-1) in the fifth to knot the score. The sophomore right-hander showed poise after having to alter her delivery, finishing with seven strikeouts and three walks.
She was called for a number of illegal pitches in the middle innings.
"That early start kinda set the tone for us; it was great for us," Liberty-Eylau coach Todd Tipton said. "I was so proud of Bella. She was hitting her spots, and she was able to overcome the adversity of all those illegal pitches.
"She didn't let that get to her head. She probably had 8 or 9 called on her tonight, and she hadn't had one called on her all year. Our defense backed her up, when they hit the ball, and our base running was great."
Freshman McKenzie Williamson got the Leopards on the board in the second inning when she led off the frame with an opposite-field solo home run over the right-field wall. L-E got two more runners on later in the inning but was unable to managed any more runs in the second.
In the third, M.J. Coleman singled over the first baseman's head, and Keeley Norris hammered a single to left. The ball got past the left fielder and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Coleman to race home and Norris to move to third.
Tori Foster, who was 3 for 4 in the game, grounded an RBI single to left, and she eventually scored on a fielder's choice and overthrow of home for the second error of the inning.
Losing pitcher Shelby Vestal settled down in the fourth and picked up seven strikeouts over the next three innings. She retired the side in order in the fourth, left the bases loaded in the fifth, but a pair of errors and aggressive base-running by Coleman counted for the eventual game-winning run in the sixth.
After a pair of strikeouts, Coleman lined a single to right, and a throw to first attempting to force her out bounced all the way to the catcher, allowing Coleman to move up to second.
She stole third as the Eagle defense wasn't paying attention, and an overthrow to third allowed her to race home without a play. Two more runners reached, on a walk and single, before the third strikeout of the inning stranded them in scoring position.
"Our base running was what ended up winning the game for us," Tipton said. "M.J. stealing third and getting home was a huge play. We're very proud of the girls. They do a good job of getting timely hits, and when we need it, manufacturing runs by getting on base and being aggressive on the bases."
Vestal scattered 10 hits in six innings, fanned nine, walked two and hit one.
Kylie Floyd smashed a 3-run home run for Canton in the fifth with two outs, and Raegan Busby followed with a double to left. She scored on Gracie Chavez's single to left.
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Shelby Vestal and Gracie Chavez. Bella Gunderson and Tori Foster. WP-Gunderson. LP-Vestal.