The Taylor Lady Ducks softball team ended their three-game losing skid with a 10-0 shutout victory over the Giddings Lady Buffaloes in the bi-district round of the 2022 University Interscholastic League (UIL) softball playoffs this past Thursday, April 28, in Taylor.
Lady Ducks pitcher Lindsay O’Dell added 15 strikeouts to her season total to bring the tally to 250 on the season. O’Dell pitched five innings and surrendered one walk and no hits.
Kennan Nunamaker led off for Taylor in the bottom of the first inning with a five-pitch walk. Mackenzie Watson advanced Kennan Nunamaker with a sacrifice bunt. Kayshawna Fields came in to run for Kennan Nunamaker and scored when Kayleigh Page singled to give Taylor the early 1-0 lead. During A’ja Lucas’ at-bat, Page would swipe second base. Lucas eventually walked. O’Dell then flied out to right field, and Page tagged up taking third base. Page scored on a passed ball during Alyssa Ortiz’s at-bat. Lucas advanced to third on the same passed ball and scored on another passed ball to give the Lady Ducks a 3-0 lead.
Taylor added one run in the second inning. Alison Ortega walked on four pitches to lead off the inning. Camryn Nunamaker laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Ortega. Kennan Nunamaker then singled to drive in Ortega to make it a 4-0 game.
For the third straight inning ,Taylor’s lead-off batter walked. This time it was Page. Lucas then singled to advance Page. Paige and Lucas pulled off a double steal taking second and third base. Ortiz then walked to load the bases. Ortega grounded into a fielder’s choice that took down Lucas heading to third base, while Page scored to make it 5-0.
Emma Whitsel and Kennan Nunamaker both singled in the Lady Ducks fourth inning. The speedster Whitsel scored on Kennan Nunamaker’s single to make it 6-0. After Kennan Nunamaker advanced to third base, Fields came on to run for her again. Watson then reached by way of an error, and Page singled to score Fields. Page and Watson would both cross home before the end of the inning making it a 9-0 contest.
In the fifth inning, the Lady Ducks needed one run to secure the 10-run rule win. After the first two batters went down by way of fly out, Whitsel tripled with a deep shot to left field that almost went over the fence. With a 1-2 count, Kennan Nunamaker doubled home Whitsel to end the game and give the Lady Ducks the bi-district title.
