The Lady Bulldog softball team could get little going offensively in their District 4-AAAAA-opening double header against Roswell High, thanks to a dominant evening in the circle by Lady Coyote pitcher MyKaya Olivas.
Olivas went the distance in both contests Thursday, shutting the Lady ‘Dogs out, 4-0, in the opener and helping Roswell to a 9-3 victory in the nightcap. Over the course of her 14 innings of work, the junior struck out 25 batters, allowing just three walks, 10 hits, and two earned runs.
It was a frustrating start to the second season for the girls in orange, who saw bright spots at the plate throughout the night but could not capitalize with runners in scoring position.
Artesia got solid pitching performances of their own in the opener, with sophomore starter Kacey Thurman and freshman reliever McKayla Liles giving up just five hits to the Lady Coyotes. But a pair of unearned runs in the second inning got Roswell on their way, and a two-run homer in the third made their low offensive output a non-issue.
The Lady Bulldogs got a leadoff walk from Alexa Riggs to start Game One Thursday, but a trio of strikeouts left her standing on second. Artesia went down in order in their second and third at-bats.
Roswell, meanwhile, benefited from a two-base error in the outfield to open the bottom of the second inning, as a Kianna Reese single and stolen base gave the Coyotes two in scoring position for Nayelli Morales, who knocked them home with a line shot off the pitcher that careened into the outfield.
A two-run homer by Karissa Mesquita in the third rounded out the final, 4-0.
Aubree Olguin broke up Olivas’ no-hitter in the fourth with a single to shallow center, Gracie Puentes and Melody Payne logged base hits in the fifth, and Olguin delivered a second single in the sixth. Artesia could not get the timely hits to move them around, however, and would fall in order in the seventh.
Thurman took the loss with four hits and two earned runs allowed through four complete, while Liles had one hit to her credit through two innings.
Artesia again fell behind the Lady Coyotes early in Game Two, thanks to a RBI double by Mesquita in the first and a second inning that saw two runs cross on a Sheyanne Sandoval sac-fly and an infield single from Adrianna Horton.
But the Lady ‘Dogs battled back in the top of the third.
A one-out, solo home run by No. 9 batter Payne gave Artesia its first run of the evening, and leadoff Riggs was able to use her speed to turn a throwing error on a bunt into a second run. An Olguin walk and double by Ale Flores gave the Lady Bulldogs two more in scoring position, but a pop-fly ended the threat.
Unfortunately, Artesia’s one-run deficit wouldn’t last, as the Lady Coyotes knocked in three more runs in the fourth, then got a leadoff solo shot over the left-field fence by Alexis Acevedo in the fifth to make it 7-2.
The Lady ‘Dogs answered in kind in the top of the sixth, as Cassandra Trujillo sent a bomb sailing over the scoreboard in left, but that would mark the end of Artesia’s scoring on the night. RBI singles by Mesquita and Olivas in the home half capped off the sweep for Roswell High, 9-3.
Liles took the loss for Artesia with eight hits and four earned runs allowed through four innings, and sophomore Jelisia Perez – on in relief in the bottom of the fifth – surrendered six hits and three earned runs.
Olguin led the Lady Bulldogs at the plate on the double dip, going 3-5 with a double. Payne was 2-5 with a home run and one RBI, and Trujillo finished 2-6 with a solo homer.
With the losses, Artesia drops to 8-8 on the season, 0-2 in district play. The Lady ‘Dogs will have no time to dwell, however, as they host Goddard in a 5 and 7 p.m. double header today at the Mack Chase Athletic Complex.
