Farmersville’s Alicia West runs up the first-base line and attempts to beat the throw from a Sunnyvale infielder. Photo by Victor Tapia / C&S Media
By David Wolman
In their final game of the season, the Farmersville softball team created a memorable ending.
Senior Victoria Reyes recorded a walk-off bunt that scored senior Bella Holland with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, lifting the Lady Farmers to a 5-4 home victory over Sunnyvale on Tuesday, April 15.
With the score tied at 4-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Holland started off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a single by junior Jacey Wheaton, then to third base with an Alyssa Smith sacrifice bunt before scoring on Reyes’ bunt that was hit towards the right side of the infield.
Reyes also starred on the mound, holding Sunnyvale to one hit and zero runs over 2 2/3 innings. She came on in relief of senior Kaylie Casados in the fifth inning. Casados yielded three earned runs and two hits over the game’s first 4 1/3 innings with three strikeouts.
Casados led the charge offensively for Farmersville, going 3 for 4 with one RBI. Holland went 2 for 4 in her final game in a Lady Farmers uniform. Smith and Wheaton also played key roles on offense for Farmersville, with both players recording two hits apiece in the win over Sunnyvale.
Farmersville came out the aggressor.
After the Lady Farmers hit into a ground-ball out to start the bottom of the first inning, the Lady Farmers got the bats going.
Following back-to-back singles by Casados and Holland, Wheaton plated the first of three runs in the frame for Farmersville with an RBI single. Smith made it 2-0 with an RBI single. Reyes then made it four straight one-base hits for the Lady Farmers, who increased their lead to 3-0.
Farmersville capitalized on a defensive error by Sunnyvale with two outs in the home half of the second inning. Casados made the Lady Raiders pay for the miscue, hitting an RBI single up the middle for a 4-0 Lady Farmers lead.
Sunnyvale didn’t give up.
The Lady Raiders reduced their deficit in half after a Brie Dericco two-run single with two outs in the top of the four innings.
In the fifth inning, Sunnyvale leveled the score at 4-4. Savannah Bryan brought in the first of two Lady Raider runs in the inning with an RBI triple. Olivia Gonzales then tied the score with a run-scoring single.
The Lady Raiders threatened for more, but a double play turned by Lady Farmers second baseman Haley Watkins, a junior, ended the threat.
That set the state for Reyes’ late heroics.
Farmersville, which will miss the playoffs for the first time since at least 2017, finished the season with a record of 9-15-2.
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