The Brownwood Lady Lions shook off a less than optimal start to their 2023 softball season opener by erasing an early four-run deficit and scoring all but three of the final 20 runs in Monday’s 17-7 home victory Jim Ned.
Brownwood relied six runs in the bottom of the second to neutralize Jim Ned’s four-run top of the first. The Lady Lions pushed the lead to 10-5 after four innings, only for Jim Ned to creep within 10-7 in the top of the sixth. But Brownwood then fired off seven runs in the bottom of the frame to enforce the 10-run rule.
“When we first stepped on the field there were obviously some nerves,” said Lady Lions interim coach Cherita Munguia. “There’s a difference between scrimmage mentality and game mentality so we had errors and slip-ups early on. We saw our heads hang for maybe a quarter of a second and they decided they weren’t going to down without a fight.”
The Lady Lions finished with 11 hits, drew seven walks, were hit twice by pitches and capitalized on eight Jim Ned errors.
Kyleigh Caperton led the charge with three hits, two RBI and three runs scored trailed by Jeniffer Romero with a pair of hits and two RBI; Tynlea Wilson with two hits, an RBI and three runs scored by courtesy runner Addison Welch; Mia Lopez and Peyton Pena both with one hit, two RBI and a pair of runs scored; Adrianna Romero with with a hit, RBI and run; Cecilia Rodriguez with a hit, two walks, and two runs; Mackenzie Welch with an RBI and two runs; and Chloe Walls with a pair of runs scored.
“We were aggressive on the bases and that worked in our favor 90 percent of the time,” Munguia said. “We did have a couple of times where it didn’t work, but we’re going to miss 100 percent of the chances we don’t take. I like the way we hit the ball, even though it took a little while for us to get our timing down. But once they got it down they were rocking.”
In the circle, Wilson gave up seven runs on eight hits with one strikeout, one walk, one hit batter and four base runners stranded.
“Tynlea is working her tail off and she and Chloe have a great relationship,” Munguia said. “They talk to each other, communicate with each other about what’s working and what’s not. We threw some pitches tonight that we haven’t thrown all season just to build her confidence and they were all successful in different cases. As she grows and get that confidence up, she’s going to be something special for us.”
Trailing 4-0 heading to the bottom of the second inning, Brownwood dug out of its hole and grabbed a lead it never relinquished.
Rodriguez drew walk to start the frame and Caperton followed with a double. With Rodriguez on third and Caperton trapped between second and third after the hit, Rodriguez broke for the plate and scored on an errant throw. Caperton later scored the second run as an attempt to pick her off retreating to third base bounced off Caperton, who then came in to score.
Welch was then hit by a pitch ahead of an RBI single by Pena that trimmed the deficit to 4-3. A sacrifice by Lopez and an errant throw to first brought home Welch with the tying run. Romero followed with an RBI ground out to score Pena with the fifth run, while Walls reached on a Jim Ned miscue that brought in Lopez for a 6-4 edge.
“We don’t allow each other to get down,” Munguia said. “If we make a mistake, it’s the job of all 14 or 15 of us to pick that person up whether they’re in the batters box or out in the field. You’re not going to have time to get down on yourself because so many people will be helping you to pick you back up, and that’s something I’ve really seen a change in.”
Brownwood stretched its lead to 8-4 in the third as Wilson singled and Welch reached on an errant throw. and Mackenzie Welch and Addison Welch c again running for Wilson – both scored on a wild pick off throw to second base that got past the glove of the center fielder.
The Lady Lions’ lead stood at 10-5 after five as Walls reached on another Jim Ned miscue and scored on an RBI triple by Caperton, which was followed by an RBI single from Wilson.
Brownwood’s seven-run sixth inning included an RBI single by Caperton, RBI double by Jeniffer Romero a two-RBI triple by Lopez, along with bases-loaded walks to Adrianna Romero, Welch and Pena.
The Lady Lions (1-0) hit the road for the first time Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Llano.
