Belton Lady Tigers play for Round Rock Tourney Championship Sat. Morning

It’s a fair assessment to say that the Belton Lady Tigers Softball team has come together since their two-game slide last Friday at the Bryan-College Station Tournament.

Winning the final games of that tournament, Belton embarked on another tournament journey. This time the journey was to the Round Rock Tournament.

The Lady Tigers won a pair of games on Thursday, downing Leander 8-1 and defeating Round Rock 5-2. They then went on an offensive tear on Friday, winning 11-0 over Rains and 16-2 over Conroe to put themselves in the Round Rock Championship Tournament game on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Lady Dragon Field against Round Rock.

In the tournament opener, Leander grabbed a 1-0 lead on a walk and a single in the first inning. The Lady Tigers put up all eight of their runs in the second inning, as Bethany Edwards had two runs batted in and Avery Drake, Destynie Moore, Kaitlyn Jones, Kendall Mraz, Meredith Lusby and Sydney Andrews all had runs batted in.

Sidney Holman pitched four innings, allowed just a run on one hit, struck out five, walked four and hit a batter in the win.

Madison Ward gave up one hit in relief.

Against Round Rock, the Lady Dragons scratched out a run in the first inning. After stranding a pair of runners in the first inning, Lusby and Robinson reached base, setting up Drake’s two-run single to give Belton a 2-1 lead. Drake had a triple in the top of the fourth to score Lusby to extend the lead to a pair of runs, 3-1.

Round Rock scored a run in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 3-2. Jones walked and Edwards’ two-run homer gave the Lady Tigers insurance runs to take the game by three runs.

Holman went five innings in the win, scattering three hits, striking out 10 and walking one.

Friday against Rains, Belton came out swinging, driving in three runs in the first inning. With two outs in the second inning and Drake on third, Jones singled home Drake, stole two bases and scored on an error. Edwards walked and Holman drove herself and her battery mate in with a two-run homer to put Belton up 7-0.

With two outs in the third inning, Drake reached base on and error and stole second base. Moore drove home Drake and scored herself on an error on the third baseman to make the score 9-0.

A pair of sacrifice flies by Mraz and Robinson scored Edwards and Holman to plate the last two runs of the game.

Holman pitched four innings, gave up just one hit, struck out five and walked three. Madison Cotton pitched an inning, gave up a hit, a walk and struck out two.

The Lady Tigers wrapped up the day with Conroe. From the bottom of the first inning on, it was all Belton. Batting around in the first inning, Belton batted 12 players and scored six times. Edwards two-run double highlighted the inning, as Jones, Mraz, Robinson and Drake picked up single tallies.

In the second inning, Belton batted 10 players and Jones two-run single highlighted the frame, as Robinson and Drake picked ribbies and Holman scored on a wild pitch.

In the fourth inning, Belton plated five more runs, as Ward, Lusby, Sydney Andrews, Taylor Tubbs and Ryleigh Jarvis picked up runs batted in.

Conroe picked up two runs on a hit in the final inning, but the hole was far too deep to climb out of.

Holman went three innings, striking out four, walking one and surrendering a single. Tubbs pitched two innings, allowed two runs on three hits, walked one and struck out two.

The first Lady Tigers Softball broadcast of the 2016 season will be Tuesday night from Lady Tiger Field in Belton, opening up District 12-6A play against the Killeen Shoemaker Lady Grey Wolves. Tune into KTEM-AM 1400, KTEMNews.com and the Radio Pup App, starting at 6:50 p.m. CT, as Tony Adams will bring you the pregame show. The first pitch will be at 7 p.m.