Marble Falls softball loses to Elgin

CAPTION: Sophomore pitcher Brooklynn Damico is allowing fewer walks and fewer hits, resulting in fewer earned runs this season. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School softball team lost to Elgin 7-1 March 24 in non-district play.

“It took us awhile to make adjustments,” Marble Falls head coach Alex Lozoya said. “Elgin did a good job of throwing the ball in the strike zone. Their defense was really good. They made all the plays – balls that were hit right at them. That was our hiccup.”

Elgin scored two runs in the first, a run in the second and fourth innings, and three in the sixth.

The first play of the game may have foreshadowed what was coming.

A well hit ball was sent to center field. But instead of it being caught for the out, it resulted in an error, allowing the batter to reach second. That followed an infield error that brought the runner home.

Marble Falls sophomore pitcher Brooklynn Damico took the loss. She allowed one earned run off six hits and a walk and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings.

Marble Falls committed seven errors.

The Lady Mustangs’ lone run was courtesy of a RBI by freshman first baseman Ady Floyd. Junior Khloe Hollingsworth led with two hits followed by a hit apiece from junior shortstop Jocelyn Suarez, sophomore second baseman Abigail Suarez and freshman right fielder Emma Martin.

Elgin junior pitcher Katelyn Anderson allowed one earned run off five hits and a walk without a strikeout.

“It was a lack of competitive maturity in the fact that we felt we could have put a good barrel on that pitcher,” Lozoya said. “And when we didn’t, we let our frustrations take over. We let our competitive immaturity take over and we were trying too hard. We weren’t ourselves at the plate and it didn’t work out. As the game went on, we made adjustments. We started hitting better balls, but then it got to the point where a lot of balls were right at their defenders.”

While some focused on the offensive miscues, Lozoya’s attentions was his team’s defense.

“The comments made after the game was kids’ barrels will get hits and barrels will get outs. And that’s the name of the game. You don’t control where it goes,” he said. “The only real control you have on the field is playing defense because you have it within your ability to catch the ball. It’s within your ability to throw the ball. That’s all we can control. I don’t want to take anything away from Elgin because they showed up. They showed up with a game plan, they fought and played defense. And we did not.”

Marble Falls returns to District 24-4A play by welcoming Taylor (9-13-1, 2-4) Friday, March 27, and Georgetown Gateway (15-4, 5-1) Tuesday, March 31. The junior varsity plays at 5 p.m. and the varsity at 7 p.m. Salado (17-7-1, 6-0) is in first place, followed by Gateway and Lampasas (14-10, 2-3). Jarrell (8-15-4, 2-4), Taylor and Burnet (12-10-2, 2-4) are tied for fourth.

Lozoya believes there’s parody in the district this season and that just about every member is capable of winning, no matter the venue, on any given night.

“f we could find a way to shore up our defense, there could be less pressure on us to go perform at the end of the game,” he said. “We were having a conversation on how relaxed teams seem to be when they come play us. They’re more aware that we’ve gotten better, but they’re not really too concerned or intimidated about what we do or don’t. We are in a situation where pretty much we are in playoff mode until we get to the end of the season.”

CAPTION: Sophomore second baseman Abigail Suarez is consistently getting on base. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro