Abilene Wylie softball holds on against Clyde
The Wylie softball team scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead back and hold on for an 8-7 victory against Clyde on Tuesday.
"I think we were finally glad to hang on to a game," Wylie coach Heather Collier said. "We've done some good things, but we had not played any slackers. It seems like this is the toughest preseason we've had ... picking up that Granbury tournament, that wasn't played, we played some good teams. Some of the things we learned from that, I could see it start to transition (Tuesday). Just little things that make a big difference."
With a run in the second and two more in the third, the Lady Bulldogs (5-7-1) took a 3-0 lead. But Clyde would answer in the top of the fifth with four runs and another in the sixth to go up 6-3.
But Wylie responded in the home half. Halle Arbilera had the big hit with a two-run double to tie things up and Wylie regained the lead on a Minely Avila sacrifice fly. Arbilera scored what would be the game-winning run on an error to make it 8-6. Clyde got a run back in the seventh, but that was as close as it would get.
"I think the pressure we were putting on each of our defenses through our offense, then mistakes ended up happening," Collier said. "That's why coach (Reagan) Sewell, we always put each other onto the schedule to help us both get ready for our district."
Kaylee Phillip worked all seven innings, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits with five walks and 12 strikeouts. Phillip and Bailey Buck led the offense with two hits each to go along with Arbilera's two runs and two RBIs.
Up next is the final tournament of the year for the Lady Bulldogs as they travel to Graham. Wylie will face Vernon and Hawley on Thursday at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. with three more games on Saturday.
After that, it's District 5-4A play starting on March 13.
"This weekend, I think, you're just hoping to clean some things up defensively, still doing the things offensively you want to do," Collier said. "We'll see good pitching, we'll see good hitters. This Graham tournament is solid, like that Granbury tournament. It's just going to be good for us to play good teams so when we start off district against Brownwood and Big Spring, and into the rest of our tough district, it's not like it's brand new. It's another challenge."