The Nocona Lady Indians played their first game of the season on Tuesday against Tioga.
The Lady Bulldogs won the high scoring game 13-9 against the Lady Indians.
With less than a week of practice thanks to the ice storm the previous week, it was important Nocona dust off the cobwebs with district play starting next week.
Tioga started off the game strong with a walk and a double with its first two batters. After a groundout, a single scored both runners to put the Lady Bulldogs up 2-0. The Lady Indians failed to get any batter on base as the game moved to the second inning.
Tioga was able to load the bases up with three singles, but Nocona’s defense was able to hold and keep the Lady Bulldogs from scoring.
Skye Kirby led off with a single for the Lady Indians and was followed by a successful bunt base hit from Maddi Ezzell. Unfortunately, a double-play followed by a groundout ended the second inning with no runs.
Tioga scored two more runs on an RBI double and an RBI single to make 4-0. It could have been worse as the Lady Bulldogs had the bases loaded again, but pitcher Reagan Phipps and the defense were able to get out of the jam with a pop up out at second base.
Besides a two out single from Phipps, there was not much offense for Nocona as the game moved to the fourth inning.
Tioga again threatened to score, loading the bases with three straight singles to start off the inning. Phipps and the defense were then able to induce a double play and another pop out at second base to get out of the jam unscathed.
The Lady Indian offense then came alive. Tomie Cable led off with a walk. After a steal from Cable, Kirby hit a single to put runners at the corners. Raylee Sparkman came in to run for Kirby and stole second base. A single from Ezzell drove in both base runners to cut the lead to in half.
Paige James then hit a double that put both base runners in scoring position. A passed ball allowed one run to score. Avery Crutsinger then drew a walk. Another passed ball and an error in the field allowed not just James, but Crutsinger to score on the based paths. Nocona now led 5-4, but it was not done yet.
Kennedy Stone drew a walk and would later steal second base. She was followed by a strikeout and a fly out that moved her from second to third base, before Stone stole home to score another run to make it 6-4.
Sydnee Mowry then drew a walk, but the next batter struck out to end the fourth inning.
Losing the lead seemed to wake Tioga up since the lead did not last long. Five singles, a double and a walk allowed the Lady Bulldogs to score seven runs and retake the lead 11-6.
The Lady Indians were able to get one run back. Ezzell drew a walk with one out. James hit a hard ball to centerfield for a single that allowed Ezzell to score all the way from first base to cut the lead to 11-7.
Despite Crutsinger drawing a walk to put two base runners on, the next two batters struck out and grounded out to end the fifth inning.
Tioga scored one run as a leadoff double was followed by a single to make the score 12-7. Despite a single following with no outs, Nocona’s defense along with new pitcher James induced two groundouts and a pop out at first base to prevent anymore scoring.
The Lady Indians got a good start to their at-bats with leadoff Phipps hitting a triple. Mowry and Cable followed with walks that loaded the bases with no outs.
A fly out from Kirby allowed Phipps to score. The Lady Bulldogs were able to get Mowry out at third base, but Cable was somehow able to steal home later to cut the lead to 13-9. Ezzell drew a walk, but was later caught stealing for the third out.
In the seventh inning, Tioga hit a single but it did not lead to much as the game moved to the Nocona’s last at-bats.
James led off with a single. A strikeout followed before Stone hit a single to put two runners on base.
Unfortunately, the next batter struck out and the final batter flew out to center field.
The Lady Bulldogs won 13-9.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.