PG drops pair, eliminated by Bullard

MARSHALL, Texas-Bullard double-dipped Pleasant Grove and eliminated the Lady Hawks from the softball playoffs.

The Lady Panthers posted an 8-4 win and then swept Saturday's doubleheader with a 13-5 win in Game 3 of the Class 4A bi-district series at Taylor Field on the campus of East Texas Baptist University.

PG, which won the series opener, 7-5, over the District 16-4A champions on Friday, ended its season at 9-16.

 

Second Game

Bullard 13, PG 5

Ariel Matula pitched her second straight complete game for Bullard, scattering 10 hits to earn the win in the circle. Matula fanned three and walked three, throwing 104 pitches over seven innings.

Kristin Key absorbed the pitching loss, tiring late after giving up just one hit in four innings.

Key worked 5 2-3 innings, tossing 115 pitches. She struck out two, walked six and was charged with 13 runs-nine earned-on 10 hits.

Down five runs, Pleasant Grove managed to get to the Panthers in the fourth inning. Maddie Horn and Emily Hilton worked consecutive one-out walks, and Natalie Nickolson singled up the middle to load the bases.

Alex Norton's single to shallow center with two outs scored a pair for the Hawks. Hilton had an RBI double in the seventh for the final tally.

Bullard scored in each of the first three innings to go ahead 5-0 with just one of those runs earned.

A pair of walks in the first inning came around to score on two wild pitches and a passed ball. Jolene Dixon's sac fly in the second gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead, and a two-out error sent two runs across the plate in the third.

Sydney Foster had the only hit for Bullard through four, but the Panthers got the offense going in the fifth.

A pair of infield singles preceded a walk to load the bags. A fielder's choice cut down the runner at the plate, but Berlyn Grossman singled to center against a draw-in infield to bring in two more runs.

Dixon singled to load the bases again, but Key induced a fly all to center to end the inning and strand the bases loaded.

In the top of the sixth, the Hawks' offense got going again. Key lined a single to left, and Norton doubled off the wall in left-center with two outs to plate a run. Lexi Snyder bounced a single to center to bring in another PG run.

The Panthers responded with a 5-hit, 6-run sixth, highlighted by Dixon's 2-run home run. Emma Lambert plated three on a double to the wall in left-center, and Grossman also had an RBI hit.

Norton was 2 for 3 with a double and 3 RBI for Pleasant Grove, Key was 2 for 4 with a double, and Lexi Snyder was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

 

Pleasant Grove    000    202    1    -    5    10    1

Bullard    212    026    x    -    13    10    0

Kristin Key, Lexi Snyder (6) and Alex Norton. Ariel Matula and Payton Hancock. WP-Matula. LP-Key. HR: BLR-Jolee Dixon, 6th, 1 on.

 

First Game

Bullard 8, PG 4

Bullard used a 4-run fourth to pull away and fend off Pleasant Grove, forcing a third game in the series.

The Hawks out-hit the Panthers, 8-5, but PG struggled with wild pitches and walks-issuing 10 free passes to Bullard.

The Hawks put the potential tying run at third in the top of the fourth inning, but Bullard thwarted the opportunity.

Emily Hilton singled to left to lead off the inning, and an out later Natalie Nickolson walked to put runners on the corners. Hilton was wild-pitched to second and moved to third on a passed ball. A pop up and groundout to the pitcher stranded both runners.

Bullard broke the game open the next half inning.

A PG pitching change was made after a pair of walks to start the fourth, and Claire Cannon bunted for a hit to load the bases. After a fielder's choice to cut down the runner at the plate, a pair of wild pitches gave the Panthers a 5-2 lead.

A walk came before Sydney Foster lined a 2-run single to center field with two outs.

Bullard led 2-0 in the first, the initial run scoring on a groundout to shortstop and the other on a wild pitch. The Panthers added one in the second as Berlyn Grossman doubled to left with one out and scored on a wild pitch.

Pleasant Grove cut its deficit to one run in the top of the third.

Alex Norton led off with a hit, and Kaylee Kelley and Bre Jones had back-to-back two-out, RBI singles.

The Hawks mounted another rally in the sixth, Kristin Key and Nickolson coming up with one-out singles. A groundout scored Key, and Nickolson ended up stealing home after Lexi Snyder walked and courtesy runner Isabelle Hackleman drew a throw while swiping second.

Emma Lambert singled home the final run for Bullard in the sixth.

Kelley was 3 for 3 to lead Pleasant Grove at the plate.

 

Pleasant Grove    002    002    0    -    4    8    0

Bullard    210    401    x    -    8    5    0

Presley Hargrove, Lexi Snyder (4) and Alex Norton. Ariel Matula and Payton Hancock. WP-Matula. LP-Hargrove.

Upcoming Events