It was hot around first pitch on Wednesday, but it took it a little bit for the Mexico offense to heat up.
The Lady Bulldogs scored five runs in the third inning and then seven runs in the …
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It was hot around first pitch on Wednesday, but it took it a little bit for the Mexico offense to heat up.
The Lady Bulldogs scored five runs in the third inning and then seven runs in the fourth inning to defeat Bowling Green 15-4 to win their home opener at Gallop Field. Bowling Green (1-5) tied the game at 3 at the top of the third inning before Mexico (5-1) rattled off 11 hits to reach at least seven runs in four of its first six games.
Scottie Smith finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Mexico was scoring during the first two innings and took a 3-1 lead, but Smith said the Lady Bulldogs made their adjustments to the pitching after that.
“We locked in and fixed our mistakes,” Smith said. “We just got on top of the ball, and we hit down. We were popping up and getting under it because it was a little bit slower pitching tonight than what we faced this weekend.”
Mexico went 4-1 for its best performance at the Back to School Tournament in Sullivan this past weekend, and several girls carried that over into good nights against Bowling Green. Alyssa Miller had a bases-clearing double in the fourth inning to finish with three RBIs, Aleigha Henderson finished 2-for-3 with one RBI and one double, Kaitlyn Krietemeyer went 2-for-4 with a RBI double, and Keerstan Ewing pitched five innings with five hits and two earned runs.
Head coach Hanna Jones said Mexico’s timing was off in the first few innings. The Lady Bulldogs did find holes with slow grounders up the middle, and those gradually turned into line drives.
“A lot of the girls owned what they needed to change and went up there with a different perspective in the next at bat and next inning,” Jones said. “We were going up there with confidence even if we didn’t have a good outcome in those first three innings.”
Mexico’s 5-1 record through six games is its best start since a 5-1 start in the 2020 season. Jones said Mexico was really only “flat” in that one loss, which was a 12-0 defeat to three-time district champion Chaffee, but the maturity has been impressive so far.
“The girls’ mentality is really strong right now,” Jones said. “If we make mistakes in a field, they don’t let it define a game. If we have a bad at bat or it’s not a quality at bat, they don’t let it define the rest of the game.”
Smith definitely has noticed a difference early this season.
“I fully believe it’s our team dynamic,” Smith said. “We all get along so well. In the three years I’ve been here, this is the best season start we’ve had.”
Mexico isn’t even at full strength yet. It is missing its third baseman and middle of the order power bat Payton Shaw, who sprained her ankle before the season opener. There has been rearranging on the field, including Smith filling in at third base when Jones expected she would either catch or patrol the outfield.
Smith has played third base for her travel ball team, so it isn’t completely new to her. She still would like to add Shaw back to the lineup for her bat and for other reasons.
“I enjoy third base, but I am ready for Shaw to be back,” Smith said. “It’s a hot spot. It gets scary there. I’m ready to go back to catching and some outfield. Isabelle (Friedrich) has stepped up too, and she’s doing great behind the plate as well.”
Jones said the Lady Bulldogs versatility has factored in already this season after expecting that would be a strength for this team.
“The girls were good about staying positive and filling in the shoes that they normally don’t,” Jones said. “They play wherever I put them.”
Mexico plays in its next tournament on Saturday at the Battle Round Robin in Columbia. It plays Grandview at 10 a.m., Battle at 11:45 a.m. and Father Tolton at 3 p.m.
