Marble Falls softball beats McNeil

CAPTION: Jocelyn Suarez’s work in the weight room has been evident with how much farther she is hitting the ball. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School softball team ran-ruled Round Rock McNeil 15-1 Feb. 9 in the season opener.

That score illustrates how the Lady Mustangs (1-0) have spent their offseason – in the weight room, in drills and on the field working to get better.

Head coach Alex Lozoya praised his players for their commitment to improving themselves individually, adding each player has diverse skills that can be used in multiple positions.

Still, it’s hard to move the team’s only senior, Cheyenne Thompson, from third base, a position she has played for a long time.

“I just like the speed of it,” she said. “I don’t have a lot of time to think, and I think I do better that way.”

Few players move quicker to a bunt than Thompson, who has made it a point to throw to first accurately no matter what.

During her time wearing the purple and gold, she has witnessed some great pitching in District 24-4A where oftentimes games are decided by one run and the teams may put up a total of three runs in a contest. Staying a ball game where one mistake can be the difference in the outcome requires a lot, she said.

“I just think it takes a lot of preparation,” she said. “It takes a lot of practicing those speeds and trying your best to just find a way on. And find a way to make the talent in our district work and not count us out. I’m just thinking punch something through, get something somewhere where it’s going to cause a little chaos.”

One player who knows all about practice and playing almost every weekend is junior Jocelyn Suarez. Among the fastest players in the district, Suarez has played shortstop and catcher and can play any position except pitcher and first. She doesn’t have a preference on which position she plays.

“I just want to help the team,” she said. “I don’t mind what position as long I’m there helping them.”

She used the summer of 2025 to heal up from an injury and played fall ball in preparation for the 2026 season.

Suarez, who is a three-year starter, has helped plug up the middle since she first stepped into the high school program. She said the secret to being a great shortstop is “having the ability to read the ball and moving toward the ball.”

Suarez’s work in the weight room was apparent during the scrimmage against Llano Feb. 9 when she sent two long balls deep into the outfield that hit the wall. She bats first or second in the line-up and knows the responsibility that comes with it.

“I do love getting everyone into the game and getting everyone prepared on what they have to do next in the batting order,” she said.

When Suarez is playing catcher, she typically works with sophomore Callie Phillips, who splits her time at pitcher and behind the plate.

Like Suarez, Phillips has been playing select softball for months as a catcher.

“Being a catcher helps me as a pitcher because I know what it’s like to be on both sides of the ball,” she said. “Whomever I’m pitching to is doing their job. I’m not juggling them in any way. I’m not trying to say something is on them, like it’s their fault, like if I mess up and I try to blame it all on them. I can’t do that because as a catcher, I know how that feels, and I wouldn’t want my pitchers to do that to me. When I’m in one position, I can tell what the other position is thinking.” 

She added that as the catcher, “it’s easier for me to tell if the girl I’m catching for is off or what I need to tell her to fix it. I can tell her if her spin is a little bit off, and so it’s easier for me to communicate with my pitchers and my catcher.”

Phillips was one of two freshmen who got extended playing time as true freshmen in 2025. Phillips called it “stressful,” adding that once she understood how to prepare for that level, she found success.

“I feel that it’s easier to share for me because I already know what to expect somewhat,” she said. “It’s just easier because I know what a varsity team should look like when we play them.”

The other freshman on the varsity a year ago was Brooklynn Damico, who is a pitcher and plays in the infield. She has been throwing 30 minutes daily several times a week and is adding pitches to go with her change-up, screwball and fastball.

“I’m proud of keeping myself accountable whenever I’m doing things,” said Damico, who began pitching when she was 10. “I just like seeing how the pitching worked and everything. I guess I just got really interested in it. And it was just something I wanted to do.”

Thompson said softball, a sport she began playing because of her dad, has aided her in many ways.

“I just like the feel of being on a team,” she said. “And I like to have something that’s always going to push me to do better. No matter what, there’s always somewhere that you can improve, and I like that about my sport. And that’s not only on the field but that’s also off the field. It just keeps you accountable for every aspect of your life.” 

The Lady Mustangs were within a win of forcing a play-in game for a playoff berth a year ago in a district that had three pitchers sign to play college softball and a fourth that committed. This year’s team has players who believe those results will help them in 2026.

“Last year we did a great job,” Phillips said. “We got so far, we did so well, and I think that will push us to know that we can get there, we can get to the playoffs, we can get farther in district, and we can reach our goals.”

CAPTION: The Lady Mustang infielders, including Callie Phillips (left), Cheyenne Thompson (7), and catcher Jocelyn Suarez surround pitcher Brooklynn Damico (18). Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro