Mustangs begin district play with win

By Rick Colegrove

District season has started and the Lady Mustangs have rung the bell. Playing their first league game against an always tough Mount Vernon program, the Hughes Springs ladies must have had some extra motivation to set the tone for the rest of the season. Peyton Blythe again was the table setter and went four for four with four singles. She started things off in the first inning, quickly stealing a base and scoring the team’s first run, with senior Bailey Tenbrook bringing her home with a single to right. The ladies tacked on three more runs in the top of the first inning to make it 4 to 0, and no one’s chairs had even gotten warm yet. Zoe Lanier was on the mound for the Lady Mustangs and she was close to brilliant, allowing only two hits and two base on balls, while striking out eight batters in five innings. Kennedi Northam, the Johnny Bench of lady catchers, was just as solid behind the plate, tallying eight putouts. When she came to bat, she was just as efficient, going one for three and scoring a run. Kensley Echols has been on fire as of late and continued with the hot bat, going two for three with two singles, and three runs batted in. Haylee Wilson was two for three with three RBI’s as well, and also scored two runs. It took a senior to set the tone for the beginning of district play. The seasoned veteran, Bailey Tenbrook, three for four with six total bases, four RBI’s, and two runs scored, to go along with her third home run of the season. On the year, she is batting .458 with 19 RBI’s and 15 runs scored. Her OPS, (on base + slugging) is an eye popping 1.206 for the year. But as amazing as that stat is, she is second on the team in that category behind Peyton Blythe, whose OPS is 1.434. Blythe also leads the team in runs scored (31), hits (28), and stolen bases (26). As a team, the ladies have 58 stolen bases, and have only been caught five times. The team is also batting .373, with an on base percentage of .453. At press time, the ladies are scheduled to play Daingerfield on Monday, the 14th, after rain postponed their game from the previous week. They will also take on Waskom, on Tuesday the 15th, then travel to Queen City on Friday. The ladies on the year are 15-5 and according to Coach Tish Thompson, “We finally put everything together. Timely hitting, great defense, and a great performance from Zoe Lanier on the mound.” Thompson also said that the league-opening win “Set a huge tone that that’s how we should play every game.” If this is what the Hughes Springs lady Mustangs look like when all things are clicking and working together, these ladies are going to be a force, and should be feared come late May, and early June.