Change is good.
The Lady Leopards run ruled Ranger College 8-0 in the first game of a doubleheader Monday afternoon and added a 3-2 win in the second game.
“The two games with MCC taught us a lesson,” Hennig said. “I just felt like we were in a box and needed to do things differently. Some of the girls maybe thought they didn’t have to produce and were just going through the motions. But all the potential in the world doesn’t get you anywhere if you don’t produce.”
The changes made an impact early in the first game for TC (29-14, 7-1 Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference). Sophia Pytel, who had totaled only 10 at-bats coming in, was the designated player and laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Emily Gallia into scoring position in the top of the second inning. Gallia scored on a single by Karrah Campbell one batter later.
Right fielder Jade Stock, who had only 19 at-bats, then singled and later scored as the Lady Leopards racked up four runs in the second.
TC added two runs in the third when Vicky Recek tripled home Campbell, and Troy product McKenzie Sickler doubled in Recek.
Temple ended the game on the eight-run mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Haylee Bell hit a fly ball to right field that the second baseman dropped while running back to make the catch. Gallia followed with a liner that the left fielder misplayed, putting runners on second and third, and pinch hitter Michelle Stratta ended the game with a shot to center that drove in both runs.
It was more than enough for pitcher Caitlin Austin (15-4), who allowed just three hits and struck out seven.
“It was good to get Caitlin back on track,” Hennig said. “She was throwing a good assortment of pitches. And since we didn’t play a full seven, she should be good to go on Wednesday (at Cisco).”
It was a vastly different scenario from what Kayla Shepherd dealt with in the second game.
While Shepherd (14-10) pitched well enough to get the win, what Hennig termed “an inconsistent strike zone” and a determined Ranger team made the game a nail-biter.
The Lady Rangers struck first when Theresa Garcia tripled in the first inning and scored on the Lady Leopards’ only error of the day.
Temple tied it in the third when Lindsay Matt scored on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Gallia. It remained deadlocked through the fifth, despite the Lady Leopards having outhit Ranger 7-1.
“At that point, I’m telling them we have a chance to lose this game.” Hennig said. “We don’t want to go to extra innings with these guys.”
So TC resolved it in the sixth with a two out rally.
Recek reached by legging out an infield single before scoring on Sickler’s double to right, and Matt added insurance run with a single to right.
“Lindsay has been hitting well for about two weeks now,” Hennig said. “I thought when she went up there that she had the chance to make it a two-run game and I was glad to see that happen.”
Ranger didn’t go quietly, though.
Emily Schendel opened the seventh inning with a double, advanced to third by tagging up on a fly ball in foul territory down the left-field line and scored on a ground out.
“My head is spinning with strategy at that point,” Hennig said. “We pretty much had to concede the run to prevent the tying run from getting on.”
Then Shepherd, who walked eight but yielded only three hits, got the final say in an otherwise tough day by striking out Garcia to end the game.
“I told her, ‘Don’t dwell on the last inning,’” Hennig said. “Just keep pitching what you are pitching because what you are doing is right. Just focus on throwing good pitches.”
And while it was veteran players providing key plays, Hennig thinks the changes may have been the spark to get things going and is going to keep tinkering.
“We are going to keep mixing it up until we get on a run,” he said.
The Lady Leopards will be at Cisco on Wednesday and North Central on Saturday.
