Ladies claim playoff birth
    by Randy Hogan, Staff Writer ~ ~ The Monahans News ~ ~April 26, 2005

The Monahans Lady Loboes took care of business this weekend shutting out Presidio 5-0 Friday, and Lamesa 9-0 on Saturday to lock down second place in District 3-3A softball.

Raquel Hawkins started on the mound for the Ladies and owned the Presidio batters, striking out 17 on the night.

Hawkins did not just pitch well, she slammed an RBI triple down the third base line scoring Dina Ortiz to put that Ladies up 1-0 in the first inning.

"Raquel was solid," Coach Kasey Kinney said. "She gives you a chance to win games by not putting them on base."

In the top of the fourth inning, Presidio got their only base runner of the game when Jessica Gutierrez reached base on an error. Gutierrez slipped a shot through the first base to get on board for the Lady Devils. The Lady Lobo defense tightened up and stopped the PHS threat.

The bottom half of the inning produced assurance runs for Monahans. Lady Devil pitcher Christa Carrasco fired a wild pitch with freshmen Kristi Wilson at bat, and Lupe Navarrette beat the tag at home plate to give the ladies a 2-0 lead. Still at the plate, Wilson got her first varsity RBI on a rip up the middle scoring Bailey Marcum. The Green left two runners stranded on base in the fourth inning.

Hawkins took down the Presidio side in order in the fifth inning, striking out all three batters.

Carrasco began to show signs of fatigue, loading the bases in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Ortiz scored her second run of the game on a wild pitch in the dirt to Kaitlin Mitchell. Marcum reached base on a fielders choice, allowing Ashton Jarrett to score the games final run.

The ladies left two runners on base in the fifth inning, and three again in the sixth inning after loading the bases on relief pitcher Amy Veasquez.

"The girls were flat tonight," Coach Kinney said. "We had TAKS test this week at school, and I don't know if that contributed to our play."

Raquel Hawkins finished the game strong striking out the Lady Devil side in order and preserve the 5-0 shut out.

"This was not a game I necessarily like or dislike. The girls are such competitors that i had to remind them to be excited about the win," Summed up Coach Kinney. "Be excited, we hit the ball well."

On Saturday, the Ladies finished the regular season with a 9-0 victory over Lamesa. As of press time, information on the game was not available.

"Heather Schuler pitched very well for us against Lamesa," Coach Kinney said in a telephone interview traveling back to Monahans. "It is a credit to have two pitchers that compliment each other as well as Heather and Raquel."

"We looked good in our final district game. Our pitching was on, and we were solid hitting the ball," added Coach Kinney.

Greenwood pounded the Pecos Lady 16-3 on Friday night, giving the Rangerettes the outright District 3-3A title, and will have a first round bye in the Class 3-A Playoff's. Monahans will represent the district as the runner up, and Fort Stockton claimed the third spot in district.

The Lady Loboes will face Snyder on Friday April 29, at 7:30 in Andrews in a one game winner take all series.