Moving to the semis

ABILENE – Sometimes it’s better to keep your mouth shut.

Coahoma Softball Coach Alex Orosco learned that the hard way in game one of the regional quarterfinal matchup with Jacksboro Thursday night, arguing a call that ended the inning with his squad down 5-2. Orosco aggressively argued the ball had hit Teagan Reynolds on the last play of the inning. Umpires conferred and took a run off the board but kept the bases full and two out.

Harlee Richardson came to the plate and promptly delivered a bases clearing double to extend the lead to 7-2, which effectively broke the Bulldogs’ back. The Tigerettes delivered four more runs in the sixth of what ended up an 11-2 victory at Cooper High here.

Coahoma would stay alive with a walkout win Friday (see story, same section). Richardson was part of the bottom three of the order that went 6-10 at the plate with seven RBIs.

The inning had begun with the game tied at two. A two-out rally commenced with Alex Holman stroking a double and breaking the tie after a Rylee Mathis single. Reynolds followed with another base hit while Destany Valles was hit by a pitch .

Jaci Gann singled home the trio but was thrown out at third for what should have been the end of the inning with Jacksboro leading 5-2.

Fueled by her cousin Harlee’s bases clearing double, Holman went into the circle and took control allowing one hit with two strikeouts over the final two at-bats.

Holman said it was simply a matter of working the next pitch.

“We do a good job of not getting rattled,” Holman explained. “We know adversity is just one of those things that’s gonna happen and we just focus on the next pitch.”

Jacksboro rocked reliever McKayla Calvio for four runs in the sixth, paced by another Gann RBI single which was the last of the Tigerettes’ 12 hits.

Coahoma took a 1-0 lead in the first on back to back doubles to open the game. Holman would allow just two hits over the final six innings, striking out seven and walking three.

Jacksboro took its first lead with a pair of second inning runs. Valles reached on a one-out error while Richardson singled with two away. Both came home as Avery Bennett, the No.9-hitter, roped a double into the right center field gap to plate the pair. Hadlee Richardson would pick up a walk but the pair were left on a groundout back to the pitcher.

Jocelyn Mendoza tied the game with a homer to left in the third.