Clarendon takes two from Garden City

By Mike Pilosof

Clarendon, TX-Through Clarendon's first 18 games, Kasmir Perez had been a run-producing machine.

On Monday afternoon, the freshman was back at it again, only this time at the Broncbusters expense.

Perez drove in seven more runs while going a combined 5-for-8 at the plate in two games, as Clarendon swept Garden City 10-4 and 10-6 at the Bulldogs Softball Complex.

In the opener, the Broncbusters grabbed an early lead when Erica Vessels singled to right allowing Nicole Milford to score from second on the throw. But Clarendon (13-7) came back to tie it in the second on an error by Vessels; then took the lead when Esmeralda Holguin's sacrifice bunt scored Natalie De La Rosa from third to make it 2-1. Haley Rodriguez followed with an RBI double and Holguin came home on a passed ball giving the Bulldogs a 4-1 edge. Clarendon stretched that to 6-1 in the third on a Perez RBI groundout and Loren Hoffman's run scoring single.

Garden City (10-8) fought back in the top of the fourth. Taylore Hartman was hit by a pitch before Vessesls doubled her home. After Micaela Martinez walked and Angel Jimenez was hit by a pitch, Kelsey Ray poked a single to center scoring Rodriguez. Bailee Muxlow-Volk slapped an RBI single to left that plated Martinez, pulling the Broncbusters to within two 6-4. But with the bases loaded and two outs, Shaylene Shepherd flew out to left to end the rally.

The Bulldogs tacked on two more runs in the fifth: Danae Villarreal doubled home Monica Lara and Perez single plated Villareal for an 8-4 cushion. Perez was credited with her fourth RBI of game one when she drew a two-out walk in the sixth that pushed the lead to 10-4.

Holguin improved to 4-1 in the circle, allowing four runs on three hits in three innings. Desiree Perea fell to 4-2, giving up six earned runs on 13 hits. She struck out four and walked three.

In the second game, Clarendon jumped all over Samantha Akers in the bottom of the first.  Rodriguez walked and scored on Kayla Hill's single to center. Three batters later, Perez clubbed a two-run double to the gap, putting the Bulldogs up 3-0.

As they did in the opener, Garden City came right back, tying the game in the top of the second when Adams singled home Vessels and Muxlow-Volk knocked in Hartman, which allowed Milford to score on the throw. Moments later, Shepherd's bunt single allowed Adams to trot home, and Becky Gundy's team had a 4-3 advantage. But they missed a golden chance to blow the game open when, with the bases loaded, Holguin, who came into relieve Villarreal, got Vessels to fly out to center.

The Bulldogs answered back with a five-run bottom half, which began with Hoffman, who led off the frame with a single and then scored on an error by Shepherd. Marilyn Brackens singled home the go-ahead run followed by Millford's error that that pushed Rodriguez across. Moments later, Hill doubled home Brackens for a 7-4 Clarendon lead. Later in the inning, Hoffman smoked a line-drive single to right that scored Hill making it 8-4.

Perez added her final RBI on the day in the fifth, when she snuck a single into left field to give the Bulldogs a 10-4 edge.

Leisha Nakagawa helped the Broncbusters make it a game in the sixth when she singled home Kasie Smith and Rebekkah Roberts. But with a chance to bring the tying run to the plate, Vessels grounded out to end the inning.

Shepherd lost for the first time this season, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits. Holguin improved to 5-1, going 5 2/3, giving up just two runs on five hits. She struck out two.

Garden City, who dropped their fourth straight game, committed seven errors on the day.

Next up: Garden City at Lamar, CO-Wednesday, Mar. 1-2 p.m. and 4 p.m