Lady Patriots have big 7th inning to defeat Chargers

Veterans Memorial blew open a close game with the Champion softball team Tuesday night in Boerne.

Tuesday’s district contest was tied 9-9 going into the top of the seventh inning but the Lady Patriots pulled away with a 9-run inning to win it 18-9.

Champion is 10-10-2 overall and 4-5 in district. They were at New Braunfels Canyon Friday.

The Patriots swept the Chargers this year, but Champion played them close Tuesday until that seventh inning.

The Chargers held the lead early in the game and were up 2-1 after two frames. The Patriots jumped back on top in the top of the third with 4 runs and it was 5-2, but Champion tied it in the fourth with a 3-run inning and it was deadlocked at 5-5.

Both teams tallied 4 runs in the sixth. The Patriots pulled ahead 9-5 but Champion answered with its 4 runs and it was knotted up again at 9-9 for the sixth tie or lead change.

Once it went to the top of the seventh, Veterans Memorial sent 13 batters to the plate and scored its 9 runs. The Patriots sent 9 batters to the plate before the Chargers could get the first out and it was 16-9 by then.

In the bottom of the seventh, Champion put on two runners with two outs and the Patriots closed it out with a fly out to left field.

The Chargers finished with 9 hits and had one triple from Dakota Salazar who also drove in 3 runs. Lillian Ritchie doubled and singled, pushed in 2 runs and scored once, while Mylie Parker doubled and drove in a run.

Abby Brehmer singled, walked, picked up an RBI and scored, Madison Coker singled and scored twice, Alison Kory singled and walked, Riley Murrish singled and drove in a run, Ryleigh LaRue walked and scored and Jaycee Bendele took 2 walks and scored 2 runs.

Parker went 7 innings in the circle and struck out 6, while Ritchie also tossed in the game and faced 5 batters.