Kats end season after intense rally in bottom 7th falls short

In a best of three series, the Alvarado Lady Indians came back after a first game loss to Kennedale to win the final two games at home in Alvarado on Friday, eliminating the Lady Kats from the playoffs. {{more: READ MORE …}}

Kennedale came into the series one game up after winning the opener 11-10 in a 7th inning rally on Thursday while playing at home. Friday, the series moved to Alvarado for Game 2. It was also decided that if needed, Game 3, originally scheduled for Saturday, would be played immediately following the scheduled Friday game, due to weather concerns on Saturday.

 

In the first game on Friday, the Kats were overwhelmed in the latter innings by Alvarado?s 7 run onslaught. The rubber match was a much better game with the Lady Kats stretching it out as long as they could ? down by one, in the bottom of the 7th, the tying run on and the winning run at the plate facing a 3-2 count. Win or lose, that was the way to end the series. Kennedale grounded out.

Alvarado moved to 20-11 overall while Kennedale finished at 14-13 after going 10-2 in district play.

Game Story ?

Game 2 ? Friday, April 28 – Kennedale at Alvarado 4 -11 (L)

• Kennedale took an early lead in the middle game in the top of the 2nd with two runs after both teams went 3 and out in the first. Kennedale led off with a single by Mary Grace Howard followed by a double from Megan Calhoun scoring Howard. Ashley McElvany followed with a single and then Alyssa Bradberry reached on a pop fly error, scoring Calhoun. With two on base and no outs, things looked great for the Kats but Brooke Nalley for Alvarado shut down the next three Kennedale batters with a strikeout and two fly outs.

• Kennedale’s Jamie Franks followed up the bottom of the second with another three and out by Alvarado but B Nalley shut down the Lady Kats in the top of the 3d with three straight outs. The Lady Indians then proceeded to whack the ball for four hits (3 singles and a triple) to score 4 and take a 4-2 lead going into the 4th.

• Kennedale came back to tie the game with two runs in the top of 4th off a walk (Megan Calhoun), a double (Bradberry), a pass ball score (Calhoun) and a single (Gabryele Slider) that scored Bradberry. Jenna Webb did get a double before Kennedale retired. Franks faced only 4 batters in the bottom half, allowing only a single. The inning ended tied at 4.

• That would be all the runs the Kats would get in this game while Alvarado went on score 4 runs in the 5th and 3 in the 6th to win the game 11-4.

• Kennedale finished with 4 runs on 10 hits leaving 5 on base. Alvarado had 11 runs on 14 hits and left 5 on base.

• Getting multiple hits for Kennedale was Jenna Webb (4-2, double), Mary Grace Howard (3-2) and Megan Calhoun (2-2, 1 RBI, double, walk). Adding hits were Jamie Franks, Ashley McElvany, Alyssa Bradberry (1RBI, double, walk) and Gabryele Slider

• Jamie Franks was on

  the mound for 5.1 innings faced 31 batters, threw 83 pitches struck out 2 , walked

  1 and allowed 12 hits. Alexa Niefert

  pitched 2/3 inning, threw 9 pitches, struck out 1 while allowing 2 hits and no

  runs.

Game 3 ? Friday, April 28 – Kennedale @ Alvarado 7-8 (L)

• Tied 1-1 going into the the rubber match of the 3 game bi-district playoff in Alvarado, Kennedale was designated as the home team.

• Alvarado came out swinging in the first, scoring 3 runs on a walk, sacrifice and 2 doubles. Kennedale responded with 2 runs with 2 outs with a reach by error by Alexa Neifert (pop fly) and a triple by Mary Grace Howard followed by a single by Megan Calhoun.

• Alvarado pushed one run across in the 2nd and the 3rd while Kennedale managed a single run in the 3rd off of a single (Howard), a walk (Calhoun) and a single (McElvany). Bradberry also got a single but the inning ended on a double play by the Lady Indians.

• In the fourth, Alvarado opened their biggest lead of the game after Alvarado’s Camden Harroff hit a two run homer, giving the Lady Indians a 7-3 lead. Both Kennedale and Alvarado went 3 and out at their next turn at bats.

• Kennedale started a slow climb back by scoring two in the bottom of the 5th. The runs came after the Kats had 2 outs when Calhoun and McElvany hit back to back doubles followed by a Bradberry single. Kennedale was down by 2 (7-5) after 5.

• In the sixth, Alvarado went 4 and out without a run but Kennedale followed with three straight ground outs. The score remained 7-5. Alvarado padded their lead with what turned out to be the winning run after hitting two singles in the top of the 7th.

2 outs, one on base, down by 1, facing a 3-2 count ?

• The Kats’ first two batters popped out and Kennedale was 1 out from playoff elimination. Needing three to tie and four to win, the Kats’ next three batters drove two runs across the plate with a Calhoun single, a McElvany triple and a Bradberry single.

• With the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate, the drama continued to intensify as the count went to 3-2. This was a playoff game as it should be, but late on a Friday night on the downside of a double header, the law of averages was with Alvarado. On the next swing the Kats season came to an end with a grounder to first base.

• For the game, Alvarado scored 8 runs on 12 hits with 2 errors and stranded 7. Kennedale had seven runs on 11 hits, no errors and left 7 on base.

• Four Lady Kats

  accounted for all of Kennedale?s hits. Earning

  hits were Mary Grace Howard (4-2, 1RBI, triple), Megan Calhoun (3-3, 1RBI,

  triple), Ashley McElvany (4-3, 2RBIs, double, triple, walk) and Ashley

  Bradberry (4-3, 3RBIs)

• Alexa Neifert went

  the distance on the mound facing 36, striking out 7 in 110 pitches, walking 2

  while allowing 12 hits.