Mineral Wells Area News

By DAVID MAY

Special to Mineral Wells Area News

Mineral Wells junior shortstop Karli Aaron smashed a two-RBI single and senior pitcher Cadence Colwell had a pair of hits to help the Lady Rams to a 7-5 home win over Stephenville in their District 6-4A opener.

It was Mineral Wells’ fourth consecutive win, improving their record to 7-7 overall and 1-0 in district.

Aaron’s two-out line drive to right field plated Emery Boswell and Caitlyn Colwell to give Mineral Wells a 2-0 second-inning lead.

The Honeybees responded with three runs in the top half of the third inning to go up 3-2.

Mineral Wells quickly tied the game in their half of the third. Cadence Colwell led off with a triple to right. Boswell reached on a sacrifice bunt that failed to score Colwell. Boswell stole second and Sadie Roach walked to load the bases with nobody out. Outfielder Caitlyn Colwell hit safely into a fielder’s choice that scored her twin sister and kept the bases full of Lady Rams.

With one out in the inning, senior outfielder Ayana Harrison walked to score Boswell and put Mineral Wells back on top 4-3. With the bases still loaded, junior infielder Aubree Yowell walked, allowing Roach to trot home for a 5-3 advantage.

Stephenville added a run in the top of the fourth. Hailey McWhorter entered the pitcher’s circle in relief of Colwell and, with one out, induced a fielder’s choice out at third and a foul out to preserve the 5-4 lead.

The Lady Rams’ home half of the fifth saw Tatum McMinn stroke a one-out triple. She was tagged out at home on Harrison’s squeeze bunt attempt. With two outs, Aaron smashed a line drive resulting in an error by the Honeybees’ right fielder that scored Harrison and allowed Aaron to scamper into third.

Leading 6-4, Mineral Wells struck again in the bottom of the sixth on a hard grounder hit by McWhorter, resulting in an error by the third baseman and followed by another error committed by the left fielder that allowed McWhorter to cross the plate with the Lady Rams’ final run.

Stephenville tried to rally in the top of the seventh. A one-out double was followed by an RBI single to pull the Honeybees to within 7-5 of Mineral Wells. An error put Stephenville runners on the corners. Savanna Silveus was summoned to pitch. She needed just seven pitches to record a strikeout and a groundout to end the game and earn the save.

The Lady Rams made the most of what Stephenville gave them. The Honeybees committed six errors and allowed six walks, with Yowell and Harrison each receiving two free passes to first. Those offset the fact Stephenville outhit Mineral Wells 7-5.

Mineral Wells is scheduled to play their second district game on Friday in Brownwood (6-8, 0-1). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. The Lady Lions lost their district opener, 10-0, at Glen Rose.