Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Tucumcari's Harley McKinney slides into home plate to score as Clayton's catcher fails to catch a throw during the first inning of a game May 25 at Tucumcari.
No one will ever accuse the Tucumcari softball team of being timid on the base paths.
The Lady Rattlers kept taking extra bases on hits, wild pitches, passed balls and even stole a few bases to fuel a 27-12 home victory over Clayton on May 25 that was shortened by the mercy rule.
Clayton starting pitcher Alexa Vigil gave Tucumcari a lot of advantages by walking 16, hitting four batters and throwing six wild pitches.
The Lady Rattlers (2-6) spotted Clayton (0-3) a 4-0 lead in the first inning on two walks, two hits and two errors. Tucumcari responded by sending 15 runners across the plate in the bottom half of the inning on only four hits.
Indicative of Tucumcari's inning was when Alexis Ramirez and Harley McKinney each scored on a wild pitch. Two runs also scored on McKinney's infield single. Felicity Lopez also stole home after the catcher lobbed the ball back to the pitcher.
"We teach that in practice - being aggressive, putting pressure on the other team," Tucumcari coach CJ Oglesby said. "We've got to get our advantages when we can. When we're struggling at other parts of our game, we've got to get aggressive on other sides."
Haisley Huffman also had a two-run single during the inning for Tucumcari.
Clayton added four runs on three hits and two walks but the Lady Rattlers escaped a big jam in the inning with a double play.
Tucumcari tacked on 10 more runs in the second inning. Amaya Infante and Lopez each spanked two-run singles during the rally.
Infante, a freshman catcher, snuffed out Clayton's rally after four runs in the third inning by throwing out a runner attempting to steal.
With Tucumcari needing two runs to end the game via the mercy rule, Sage Knapp drove in one with a triple into the right-field gap but was tagged out trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park homer. Infante walked and was caught stealing for the second out.
Lopez walked and stole two bases to advance to third. A wild pitch brought her home to end the game.
Oglesby said it is fun to watch his young team advance in its play.
"Every practice, every game, these girls are improving," he said. "It's a plus, and it's exciting to go through it with them. Confidence is coming up, and we've just got to get better. If we continue to work, we'll get better."