SPORTS
OUTDOORS: First Day Hike set for Jan. 1
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is offering First Day Hikes set for Jan. 1, 2015.
New Year’s Day events earlier this year brought out more than 1,500 people who covered more than 6,000 trail miles in 59 Texas state parks.
The hiking and paddling events were part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes occurring in state parks throughout the nation – providing people the chance to get a healthy jump on the New Year.
This will mark the fourth consecutive year Texas state parks will participate in the initiative.
The National Association of State Park Directors is coordinating the event.
This past New Year’s Day, First Day Hikes took place in all 50 states, drawing about 28,000 people who hiked exactly 68,811 miles.
The concept originated more than 20 years ago at Blue Hills Reservation in Massachusetts.
Sixty-seven Texas state parks have scheduled more than 100 First Day events to begin the New Year.
Mother Neff Park near Waco, which was Texas’ first state park, continues to draw the most hikers with 204 participants the last time around. Lake Brownwood State Park had two hikes with 191 participants.
For something different on New Year’s Day, there will be the First Day Paddle at the Johnson Branch unit of Ray Roberts Lake State Park near Denton.
There is no charge to be involved with these First Day events, but normal park entry fees will apply.
For the most up-to-date list of First Day Hikes, visit: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/calendar/first-day-hikes. Also, go to www.tpwf.org for information on the state parks pass.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. (Logo provided by the TPWD, no copyright infringement inferred)
The Nocona Lady Indians beat Saint Jo at home on Saturday morning.
The Lady Indians won 16-1 after four innings due to run-rule against the smaller school.
Nocona was coming off a competitive loss at Collinsville earlier in the week while the Lady Panthers were hoping to compete after a busy week of their athletes doing everything else besides just softball.
The Lady Indians easily won the first matchup between the teams in March, 19-2 and it was more of the same on Saturday.
Saint Jo struck first to start the game off well. Jordyn O’Neal hit a one out single. Krista Reeves followed with a walk after O’Neal had stolen second base and had advanced to third thanks to an error trying to throw her out. A wild pitch then allowed her to score to put the Lady Panthers up 1-0.
The lead did not last long. Nocona’s first two batters drew walks which set up Abby Hill to drive them both in with a single to right field.
Despite giving up a single and a walk later in the inning, Saint Jo’s defense did not allow another run. A line out and groundout to the shortstop while picking off a runner attempting to steal got the Lady Panthers out of the inning unscarred.
The Lady Indians led 2-1.
That was about as competitive as it got. In the second inning, Nocona’s bats got going. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases up with no outs.
Reagan Phipps drew a walk that drove in a run. Hill hit another two RBI single. Skye Kirby followed with a two RBI double.
After the first out, Allie Sutton drove in one run with a single. There was a fly out for out two, before a runner came in to score after a passed ball. Finally, an error allowed two more runs to score on the base paths.
Nocona had scored nine runs and led 11-1 to break the game open heading into the third inning.
Taylor Patrick hit a double, with O’Neal and Reeves following with singles. Unfortunately for Saint Jo, Patrick was thrown out before the hits attempting to steal a base so the Lady Panthers scored no runs from this.
The Lady Indians kept pouring on the runs. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases up with no outs. Tinley Cable then hit an RBI single. Shelby Swell was hit by a pitch that drove in another run.
After two strikeouts, Evelyn Marquez drove in two more runs on a double to put Nocona up 15-1, coming up one run short of ending the game early.
The Lady Indians scored that one run in the fourth inning. After Phipps drew a leadoff walk, Hill hit a triple that drove her in to end the game.
Nocona won 16-1.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
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