GRAND SALINE, Texas-Harmony left-handed pitcher Analese Cano was up to the task Friday against New Boston.
Cano matched Lady Lion senior Morgan McAlexander with nine innings of work in the circle, but it was the Lady Eagle sophomore who recorded her fourth shutout of the season to give Harmony a 1-0 lead over New Boston with a 2-0 victory at Grand Saline High School.
The teams will be back on the field today at 2 p.m. for the second game of the Class 3A regional quarterfinal series. If a third game is needed, it will be played after a brief intermission.
After eight scoreless innings, the Eagles needed three batters into the ninth to take the lead.
Hope Howard singled to third and was bunted over. Jenci Seahorn lined a single to left, and Howard raced around, beating the throw home to break the tie.
Kaylee Clemens beat out an infield single with two outs, allowing Seahorn to score.
New Boston got a runner to third in the bottom of the eighth inning, and with two outs Harmony elected to issue intentional walks to Carlee Ratcliff and Morgan McAlexander, the third and fourth in the order, respectively. The next batter flew out to leave the bases loaded.
The Eagles scored twice in the next half inning.
Cano scattered six hits, struck out 10 and the only free passes she issued were the pair of intentional walks. She threw 123 pitches with 89 of those strikes.
McAlexander had 118 pitches-91 for a strike-gave up two earned runs on nine hits, fanned 10 and walked one to absorb just the second loss of the year for New Boston.
Cano picked up four of her strikeouts in the first inning, the third batter of the game reaching first safely on a dropped third strike.
Lauren Daniel had an infield hit for the Lions in the second but a groundout left the runner at first, and Cano retired the side in order in the next two frames.
The Lions stranded two Harmony runners in the first, after a two-out walk followed by a single to left by Katelyn Welborn.
McAlexander and New Boston retired the side in the second and third innings, but Kinzee Settles bounced a leadoff single to second. An out later, Cano chopped a hit to third, and Settles advanced to third on the throw to first.
McAlexander struck out the next batter and induced a grounder to first to end the threat.
Jenkins Seahorn's leadoff hit had the Eagles threatening again in the fifth. An error on a fielder's choice put two on with one out, but again the inning ended on a strikeout and groundout.
Emma Holland managed just the second hit off Cano in the first five innings, bouncing a two-out single into center field. A fielder's choice ended the inning.
Cano smashed a stand-up double with one out in the top of the sixth inning, lining the ball into the left field corner. The courtesy runner was bunted to third, but it was the second time in three innings that Harmony left a runner at third to end the inning.
New Boston had a bunt single by Haley McAlexander in the sixth, but a popup and Cano's eighth strikeout kept the runner at first.
The Lions' best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the seventh as Lauren Hurst delivered a soft liner to center with one down.
Hurst was bunted to second, and she reached third after rounding the bag and being caught in a pickle. On the tag, the ball came loose. Cano forced extra innings with a strikeout.
Settles singled for the Eagles in the eighth, but she didn't get past second.
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Analese Cano and Katelyn Welborn. Morgan McAlexander and Lauren Daniel. WP-Cano. LP-McAlexander.