By GARY STALLARD
AC Athletics
PORT ARTHUR – Playing on a field with a spacious outfield, and with a hard wind blowing straight into the hitters’ faces, there was little chance of any ball leaving the yard via home run.
The Angelina College Lady Roadrunners, a team with 68 homers this season, shifted strategies, trying to force San Jacinto College defenders to make plays around the infield. Line drives, ground balls and bunts replaced the typical long drives to the outfield.
The Coyotes made those plays, holding the Lady ‘Runners to a single run and knocking AC from the conference tournament with a 6-1 San Jacinto win in Region XIV tournament play Saturday at Lamar State College-Port Arthur.
AC’s lone run came via a squeeze bunt in the fourth inning, with Nikki Gonzales bunting home Rachel Agnello, who logged the Lady Roadrunners’ only extra-base hit of the game.
The Lady ‘Runners threatened in the seventh, loading the bases singles from Nikki Whitehead, Agnello and Ashley Hallmark. However, San Jacinto pitcher Michelle Kristoff got a spectacular catch from a teammate to end the threat, the game and the Lady Roadrunners’ season.
AC finishes the 2018 season with a record of 28-21.
The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
