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Mansfield Lady Lions take third in tournament

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The Mansfield Lady Lions softball team traveled to Bakersfield last Saturday and left with a third place finish in the Pride Park Tournament.

In the first round, the Lady Lions crushed Gainesville, 10-1.

Mansfield scored seven runs in the first inning and never looked back in the five inning victory.

Hailey Nelson led Mansfield with two hits, three RBIs and one run scored. Morgan McGuire had two RBIs, Macie Tate added two RBIs and one run scored, while Maddie Coble and Lauren Jones each had one RBI and one run scored. Ashlynn Heil scored two times.

Langley earned the win after allowing just one earned run on four hits with seven strikeouts.

In their second game, the Lady Lions struggled against East Carter’s pitcher and lost a close contest, 4-2. Maddie Coble had two hits, Langley had one RBI and one run scored while Hailey Nelson scored one run.

Madalyn Ivy picked up the loss on the mound in spite of tossing six innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.

They clinched third place with a 12-0 win over Seymour.

“We had to leave one field and walk over to the other immediately after losing to East Carter and play,” said Mansfield head coach Aaron Gray. “I told the girls they better be ready for Seymour.”

The Lady Lions answered the challenge by scoring five runs in the first and third innings in the big win.

McGuire had three RBIs; Lauren Jones had two RBIs and one run scored; Tate had one RBI and one run scored; Trinnity Davis had one RBI; and Hailey Nelson scored three times.

Ivy picked up the win after tossing three innings of shutout ball and allowing just one hit. She did have three strikeouts.

It was a not-so-normal Monday earlier in the week, the Mansfield Lady Lions softball team traveled to Norwood for a battle of area rivals.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Mansfield High School students started at-home virtual learning that day and will remain home through Oct. 12. In spite of the challenge, the Lady Lions managed to hold on late for a 3-2 win over the Lady Pirates.

“It was a strange feeling today,” Coach Gray said. “Rather than get the gear from the shed and the girls out of class to board a bus, I found myself loading all of the gear into my car to head to Norwood to meet the girls. I’m big into keeping my players in a routine. Today, nothing was routine.”

Ivy led Mansfield on the mound as she earned the victory after tossing seven innings and allowing just one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts.

Lauren Jones had two hits and two RBIs, Hailey Nelson had two hits and one run scored, while Chloe Lemons and Maddie Coble each scored one run.

One day later, they traveled to Walnut Grove to take on an always tough softball team. Mansfield trailed 6-1 through five innings before the Lady Lions charged back into the game to tie it at 6-6 in the sixth. Tyra Lansdown’s three-run home run was the big hit that tied the game. Then in the top of the seventh inning, Langley smacked a solo home run over the centerfield fence to give the Lady Lions a 7-6 lead.

Unfortunately, Walnut Grove rallied with a walk-off, two-run home run to win the game.

“It was a tough way to end the game.” Gray said. “We had a defensive let-down in the fifth that put us in a tight spot. I was really proud of the way they responded, down five, to battle back and put us in a position to possibly bring home the win.”

Tyra Lansdown led Mansfield with there three RBIs and one run scored; Langley had one RBI and two runs scored; Ivy added one RBI and one run scored; while Hailey Nelson, Davis and Dana Nelson each scored one run. Langley picked up the loss on the mound in spite of allowing just three earned runs on nine hits with one strikeout. Mansfield’s defense did commit six errors in the loss.