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STORM CENTER: DeFord valuable member of Petrolia softball team

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The Petrolia High School softball team has enjoyed a modicum of success this season; but, that hasn’t happened without injuries.
Especially at first base.
Earlier this season, Krista Reese suffered a torn meniscus, and then freshman Emilee Macklin was injured during the playoffs.
At that point, Petrolia head softball coach Eric Simmons went to Samantha DeFord and asked her if she would be interested in taking over at first.
DeFord had been Petrolia’s primary second baseman, but the move to first was out of necessity.
“Sami’s been a great kid to have on the team,” Simmons said after Thursday’s Conference 2A Regional Final against Archer City.
“She’s hit the ground running,” Simmons added about DeFord’s move to first base.
Simmons said DeFord has hit the ball extremely well for the Lady Pirates this season, a successful year in which Petrolia has won 30 games.
Archer City defeated Petrolia, 4-3, during Game One of the best-of-3 series on Thursday evening in Bowie. It marked the first time the Lady Pirates had lost since March 2 (a 3-1 defeat versus Lindsay).
Petrolia won the District 2A-8 title, with the likes of traditional powerhouse Windthorst and Seymour in the mix.
For DeFord, the move to Petrolia was a natural fit. After all, her father Michael DeFord graduated from there in 1991.
“It’s been a home for me,” said DeFord.
So, what about that move to first base?
“It’s been very challenging,” she said. “I’ve been staying after practice to work on it. I just want to make the team better.”
DeFord called this year the best experience she’s had playing softball.
“I wouldn’t trade this for anything,” said the Petrolia junior. Read more from this column in the May 27 Bowie News.

Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.

Samantha DeFord prepares to bunt during the seventh inning of Thursday’s Conference 2A-Region I softball regional final at Bowie High School’s outdoor complex. This game served as a Homecoming for DeFord, who played for Bowie as a freshman. She is currently playing first base for District 2A-8 champion Petrolia. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)

SOFTBALL SERIES

Conference 2A

Regional Final

Archer City vs. Petrolia

At Bowie High School

May 24

Archer City 4, Petrolia 3

May 26

Archer City 4, Petrolia 3

(Archer City wins series, 2-0.)

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Saint Jo Softball Interview

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Interview with Saint Jo softball players Jordyn O'Neal (left) and Maxey Johnson following their playoff win against Perrin-Whitt on April 24, 2024.
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Nocona softball wins final game of the season against Alvord

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The Nocona Lady Indians played their final game of the regular season with a drubbing of Alvord at home.
The Lady Indians won 11-1 after six innings due to run-rule to end their season on a positive note despite no playoffs.
The game was rescheduled from last week due to weather.
Nocona was coming off a tough loss against Muenster the previous game, but knew it had a chance against Alvord after beating the Lady Bulldogs 6-4 in the first game.
The game started slow, but the Lady Indians got the lead with one run in the first inning. Alvord answered with one run in the third inning before Nocona retook the lead and never let it go.
The Lady Indians scored three runs in the third inning, two in the fourth, three in the fifth and the final two in the sixth inning to end the game on Charity Claxton’s sacrifice bunt that scored the last run.
Nocona won 11-1.

Coach Nolan Lanham thought it was the most complete game the team had played all season.
While he is sad this year’s season is complete, he is excited about what the team accomplished this year and what it can build off of it in the coming years.

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

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Baseball Roundup

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Nocona
The Nocona Indians won their first game against Chico on Tuesday night to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Indians won 9-4 against the Dragons.
Nocona was coming into the game after a close, low-scoring series against Perrin-Whitt that saw the Indians win one game and lose another.
The Indians took an early lead with Brody Langford driving in a run on a single. Chico answered with two runs in the same inning to take back the lead 2-1.
The teams exchanged runs in the next four innings.
Nocona tied the score at 2-2 in the second inning when RJ Walker hit a sacrifice fly ball deep enough to score one run. The Dragons took the back the lead with an RBI double in the third inning to make it 3-2.
The Indians again tied the score in the fourth inning when Langford hit into a fielder’s choice out with the bases loaded. Once again, Chico retook the lead in the fifth inning, also scoring on a fielder’s choice groundout to go up 4-3.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Nocona was down to its final three outs of the game.
With two runners on base and two outs and looking at a full-count, Caden Belcher came through for the Indians with a base hit. It scored the tying run and the second runner was waived home and had a chance to score the game’s winning run. He was just tagged out for out three, but not before Nocona had tied the score at 4-4.
Chico loaded the bases up with one out in the seventh inning, but Wesley Murphey stepped up and struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam scot free and force the game into extra-innings.
Nocona was still reeling from the momentum of the last inning and it came through in the eighth inning.
With two runners on base and two outs, the Indians started a two-out rally with Wesley Murphey hitting a triple that brought both runners home to score.
Langford followed with a single that drove in one run. Following another single, Konnor Harrington hit a single that drove in another run. Following a walk that loaded the bases, a passed ball allowed Nocona to score another run.
The Indians more than doubled their seven inning total, scoring five runs and leading 9-4.
Wesley Murphey and the defense then closed the door, striking out the first batter before inducing groundouts to shortstop and second base for outs two and three to end the game.

Saint Jo
The Saint Jo Panthers played their final regular season series in a double-header on Tuesday against Lindsay.
The bigger Knights won both games by run-rule, 12-2 after six innings and 15-2 after five innings.
Saint Jo had last played a week ago in a double-header against Muenster’s JV and varsity teams. The Panthers competed well with the JV team, but struggled more against the varsity team.
Lindsay had no JV team so Saint Jo had to play the 2A school twice and hoped it could compete.
The Knights got off to a fast start in game one, scoring seven runs in the first inning and never looking back.
The Panther defense played better from then on, never allowing Lindsay to score more than two runs in an inning and even holding the Knights scoreless in two innings.
Saint Jo was able to score in the fifth inning when the team loaded the bases and drew two walks to score two runs.
That was enough to keep the game from ending after five innings, but Lindsay scored two runs in the sixth inning to end the game early with the score 12-2.
The second game saw Lindsay score at least one run in every inning, highlighted by seven in the second inning.
Saint Jo scored two runs in the fourth inning. Charlie Evans hit an RBI double. Later he scored on the base paths after Lindsay failed to prevent a stolen base elsewhere.
The game ended after five innings with the Knights winning 15-2.

Bellevue
The Bellevue Eagles lost its final regular season game against Alvord on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs won 22-0 after four innings due to run-rule.
Bellevue knew it was going to be tough competing against a bigger school, but was hoping to compete.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs came through and scored 14 runs in the first inning to suck any momentum from the Eagles before they had even had a chance to bat.
Bellevue prevented Alvord from scoring in the second inning, but not the third or fourth innings.
The Eagle bats did not have much luck scoring any runs as the Bulldogs won 22-0 after four innings.
Bryce Ramsey and Blake Reese got the only two hits for Bellevue in the game. Alvord racked up 15 hits, drew nine walks and were hit by five pitches which led to all of the runs.

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

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