By PATRICK CASEY
The Paxton Bobcats got a pair of home runs in the first inning for all the run support they would need as they earned a 5-1 District 1, Class A victory over Ponce de Leon on Monday night in Paxton.
The Pirates got their only run of the game in their first at-bat as Taylor West singled and stole second with Devyn Butorac driving her in with a single of her own moments later.
Paxton wasted no time in taking the lead as they saw Cheyenne Arne reach on an error with freshman Michaela Cain driving a Butorac pitch over the leftfield fence for a 2-1 lead.
After Genesis Long grounded out, eight-grader Camryn Brazile sent an 0-2 pitch to nearly the same spot for a 3-1 lead.
Paxton added a run in the third inning as Katie Sebastian doubled and scored when Cain’s grounder to shortstop got through West and into the outfield to push the lead to 4-1.
The Bobcats added their final run of the game in the fifth inning as Arne singled but was gunned out at third base when Sebastian tried to sacrifice her over to second. A throwing error pulled Paxton first baseman Payton Malloy off the bag but she threw Arne out trying to take the extra base with Sebastian reaching second on that throw for the out. Sebastian moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch for the last run of the night.
Ponce de Leon could not get their bats going on the road as strikeouts were prevalent against both starter Cassidy Brazile and reliever Genesis Long. The Pirates posted 14 strikeouts of the 21 outs recorded with all but two of their nine batters in the line-up going down at least once.
Butorac delivered two of the Pirates four hits with West and Shelby Rushing each adding one of their own. Three fielding errors hurt the Pirates’ cause as they fell to 4-4 overall and in district play with the loss.
Cassidy Brazile left the game after throwing 89 pitches through four innings but earned the win while striking out nine, walking four and allowing three hits. Long pitched the last three innings to earn a save and allowed only one hit while adding five more strikeouts. Tori Morgan had one of the Bobcats’ five hits as they improved to 5-5 overall and 5-4 in district competition.
Team Notes: Paxton has won the last three softball games with PDL. Paxton is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings with PDL. Paxton will make up a home district game with Malone that was rained out this past Friday on April 1. Paxton will travel to PDL for a rematch on March 31.
