Lehman’s Monique Johnson came up with a key hit to help propel the Lady Lobos to a huge win over district-leading Lockhart Tuesday night. (Photo by Adam Reyna)
By MARK CAUL
The Lady Lobo softball team responded to their most emotional loss ever by earning one of the most impressive victories ever posted by a Lehman High athletic team.
Just a week after they squandered an 8-0 lead in a home loss to cross-town rival Hays, the Lady Lobos handed state-ranked Lockhart its first home loss in three years. The perennial power Lady Lions came into the game ranked No. 12 in Texas in Class 4A.
A pair of clutch singles by Lehman’s Monique Johnson and Feliciana Torres highlighted a three-run sixth inning in the Lady Lobos’ 3-1 win at Lockhart on Tuesday night. The Lockhart loss stunned a capacity crowd looking on at Lions Field.
The jaw-dropping victory not only marked the first home loss for Lockhart in three seasons but also knocked the defending district champion Lady Lions out of a first place tie with Elgin in the 17-4A standings.
“I’m just so happy right now for these girls because of what they went through last week (against Hays),” Lehman head coach Nicole Herrera said. “They came out and played great defense and really put the pressure on Lockhart. They are a team that is used to putting up a lot of runs, so when our defense kept them from scoring, I think they started to press a little bit. We’re very excited. This is something our seniors will always remember.”
Trailing 1-0 to the Lady Lions, Lehman finally broke through against Lockhart ace pitcher Bobbi Schulle (10-2).
Cydney Ervin doubled to lead off the top of the sixth. Torres then ripped a single down the left line to drive home the speedy Ervin and tie the game 1-1.
After Lehman’s Liz Valderaz singled to put runners at the corners, Johnson continued her recent hitting tear by lining a double up the middle to plate both Torres and Valderaz to give the Lady Lobos a 3-1 lead.
Lehman pitcher Ashleigh Hildebrand dominated Lockhart. She threw seven innings, giving up only four hits four hits while striking out five batters.
More importantly, the same defense that committed eight costly errors a week before in the disappointing loss to Hays was outstanding against the normally hot-hitting Lady Lions (17-6, 6-2 17-4A).
No defensive play was bigger than Johnson’s running catch to quell a Lockhart rally in the fifth inning with the Lady Lions threatening to increase their lead at the time with runners in scoring position and two outs.
“Our defensive mistakes really cost us the game against Hays,” Herrera said. “Tonight, we really buckled down and focused on making the plays we were supposed to make. We showed a lot of heart to come back after that tough loss.”
With the win, the Lady Lobos (18-8, 3-4) find themselves in a three-way tie with San Marcos and Del Valle for the district’s fourth and final playoff spot with three games remaining.
The Lobos will face off against both teams during the last week of the regular season.
Valderaz admits that despite the improbable win, the Lady Lobos will have to maintain their focus for the remainder of the season if they are to reach the playoffs.
“This was a huge win for us but we know that we still have to win some more games to make the playoffs,” Valdarez said. “We know we have to beat San Marcos and Del Valle to give ourselves a chance. We just need to stay focused.”
Lehman travels to Caldwell for a non-district tilt on Friday before resuming district play against Manor at home next Tuesday.
