Lady Loboes claim Frenship Championship
    by Sara Murphree, Staff Writer ~~ The Monahans News ~~ February 25, 2005

In the Frenship Invitational Tournament this weekend lady Loboes Softball team brought home the championship trophy after beating the Synder Lady Tigers and Permian Lady Panthers.

Raquel Hawkins received the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament.

Dina Ortiz and Heather Schuler received all-tournament selections.

On Friday, theLadies played three pool games to determine who would play for tournament bragging rights.

The first pool game was against Lubbock Cooper.  The lady Loboes took the game with a score of 4-1.

Plainview was next in the Ladies' path of destruction.  The Lady Loboes defeated the Bulldogs 4-0.

They then defeated Seminole 15-0, before the game was rained out.

On Saturday, the Ladies began the tournament with the game against Snyder.

"We started off with errors that ended up costing us runs in the first inning," Coach Kasey Kinney said,  "We battled back our first at bat with Raquel Hawkins hit her first of two homeruns during the game, and brought in three runs."

"Stacie Fuentes was pointing out parts of the field to hit to, and hit well while doing so.  She came around when we really needed her.  We woke up in the third inning with our bats, and eventually ended the game 8-2.  We had good plays from Heather Schuler at short stop, and Bailey Marcum is really coming around with her play at first," she added.

The Lady Loboes took on the Permian Lady Panthers for the final game of the tournament.

"We had seen Permian twice in scrimmages so far this year, and had easily defeated them.  However, they came out strong in their first at bat and hit the ball really well," Kinney said.  "We did a pitching change in the third to slow their bats down, and we really hit the ball well."

"Brianna Chaney came up and hit a couple of hits during critical points of the game.  We came out on top 4-0, and overall our outpost was really good," Kinney said.

"We had lot against us with three hours drive each day and the cold and rainy weather, but the girls played like those things did not matter.  That is what I'm looking for in a ball club.  The ability to play adverse conditions and play well," Kinney said.

With two wins from the tournament and after the loss to Midland High on Tuesday, February 15, the Ladies improved their record to 2-1.  The pool games do not count toward the overall record.

The JV Lady Loboes play against Big Springs on Monday, February 21 at 4:30 p.m.  The Varsity Lady Loboes will travel to Big Springs on Tuesday, February 22 and play against the Lady Steers beginning at 4:30 p.m.

keyed by Bryan Smith