South Pittsburg rallies over Lady Broncos
The Lady Broncos opened their home season Friday with a scheduled doubleheader against the Lady Pirates of South Pittsburg. South Pittsburg won the first game in extra innings 12-9, but the second game was called in the second inning due to darkness.
The Lady Pirates scored one run in the top of the first after a walk and two base hits, but the Lady Broncos answered with two runs in their half of the first.
Kati Sutton reached on a walk, Mary Reynolds drove a shot up the middle and then Megan Hamblen dropped down a bunt to load the bases. Amber Hodge slapped one down the third base line to score Sutton, and Tanera Jones dropped a hit over second to give Boyd the lead 2-1.
Amber Hodge worked the mound for the Lady Broncos, striking out the first batter in the top of the second and then letting her defense take care of the next two Lady Pirates. Boyd put a runner on in the bottom of the second with a walk. Reynolds then drove the runner with a hard hit ball to left. Hamblen walked and Amber Hodge picked up another hit to drive in Reynolds. Scarlette Hodge connected and drove one to right to score Hamblen to give the Lady Broncos a 5-1 lead.
South Pittsburg added one run in the top of the third on two hits and an error. Boyd added to its lead when Grace Barnes reached on a hit, and Reynolds reached on an error. Barnes scored on a passed ball then Hamblen laid down a bunt to score Boyd’s second run of the inning and give the Lady Broncos a 7-2 lead.
The Lady Pirates hit their way back into the game in the fourth. Three hits, a walk and two errors pulled South Pittsburg within two, 7-5. Boyd picked up one run in the fourth and still held a 8-5 lead.
The Lady Pirates led off with a double in the top of the fifth. One hit and an error tied the game at 8-8 and with two outs the Lady Pirates took the lead after Boyd committed another error. The Lady Broncos found themselves trailing 9-8 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Reynolds, who had the hot bat for the Lady Broncos all day, led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run to left field to tie the game at 9-9 and send it into extra innings.
South Pittsburg scored three runs off of three hits and two errors to go up 12-9. The Lady Broncos failed to rally in their half of the inning, giving Boyd a disappointing loss.