Freshmen lead off Lady Stangs attack

By Mark Goodson

Highlander Sports Editor

Marble Falls’ softball team is going to rely on speed this year.

Starting four freshmen in the lineup might have its growing pains, but if the District 26-5A opener is any indication, the Lady Mustangs are going to be just fine.

The Lady Mustangs took care of business Tuesday night in the district home opener and beat San Antonio Alamo Heights, 7-1.

Sophomore pitcher Logan Hulon was sharp with his riseball working to perfection. She finished with 17 strikeouts and allowed only three hits. She walked two.

“I always feel like I’m going to pitch my best,’’ Hulon said. “I had my riseball working.’’

The Lady Mustangs improved to 4-6-2 overall by winning the district opener.

The Lady Mustangs will play Rockdale, Taylor and Killeen Shoemaker in the Taylor Tournament on Friday. Bracket play will be on Saturday.

The Mustangs played solid with eight hits, good base running and excellent defense.

“You can’t win them all without winning the first one,’’ Marble Falls coach Rick Richter said.

Marble Falls played with a lot of confidence and it showed with the throwing on senior catcher Corey Oppenheim. The veteran threw out a batter in the first inning and then nailed a base runner in the second, too. Both were excellent throws.

“That’s what we’ve talked about from day one,’’ Richter said. “From the first pitch, the first at bat, everything is mental. We have to be on our game.’’

The Lady Mustangs set the pace early.

In the first they scored one run with leadoff hitter Jesse Stephenson reaching on a strikeout passed ball and later scoring on a RBI single by Brooklyn Chavez.

The tandem of freshmen a the top of the order gives the team plenty of speed on the base paths.

The combined to score two runs, got three hits and drove in one run.

The Lady Mustangs kept up the aggressive style and scored two runs in the second and three in the third to command 6-0.

That was all the runs Hulon would need.

Corey Oppenheim was solid batting third. She had two tripled, scored twice and drove in a run.

In the second inning, Taylor Dixon and Summer Riley drove in runs. In the third inning, Chavez got the attack rolling with a bunt single. Oppenheim drove her in with her first triple. Hulon drove in Oppenheim with a single. Freshman Bailey Hamilton singled to score the third run.

Oppenheim laced another triple ahead of a single by Hulon for the lone run in the fifth.