Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kayla Gonzales of Kerens hits a ground ball during the first inning of March 3’s District 20-2A opener for her team against Mildred.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens second baseman Blair Blue concentrates on the action at the March 3 Mildred game at Bob Lancaster Park in Kerens.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens’ Madison Dunham scores against Mildred in the sixth inning March 3 on a Rylee Spivey double, congratulated by Brooke Sikes.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens pitcher Rylee Spivey, who struck out 18 Mildred batters during March 3’s District opener, delivers from the circle.

KERENS–The Kerens Lady Cats took the Mildred Lady Eagles to extra innings March 3 at Bob Lancaster Park but ended up losing at home, 5-3, in nine innings. But the Lady Cats exacted revenge in the second game of the series March 7, winning 10-7.
In the March 10 game, Kerens broke a 5-5 tie with five runs in the top of the sixth inning and held on in the bottom of the seventh after Mildred put two more runs on the board to account for that final. According to head coach Jayson Engel, Brooke Sikes hit a 3-run home run in that sixth inning, while in the game, pitcher Rylee Sikes recorded career strikeout No. 700.
As for the March 3 game, Mildred scored runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the third with two outs, Jayden Brumit singled for Kerens, then Kayla Gonzales also hit a Lady Cat single, but Mildred got out of the inning.
After Mildred added another run in the top of the fifth for a 3-0 advantage, Kerens responded in the bottom of that inning with Jaidin Rickard tripling, then Nevaeh Eastman singled home Rickard to score Kerens’ first run.
Now within 3-1, Kerens’ bottom of the sixth saw Madison Dunham hit a sharp single to right field. Rylee Spivey doubled to right field to bring home Dunham and cut Mildred’s margin to 3-2. After that, Rickard singled and drove in Spivey, who had taken third on a fielder’s choice, which tied the game at 3-3. Eastman then hit a bloop single to right field to put Kerens runners at first and second, but Mildred got out of the sixth without allowing another Lady Cat run.
In extra innings (the top of the eighth), Spivey caught a Mildred bunt attempt on the fly, then doubled up a runner at first base. Spivey eventually struck out a Mildred batter for the third out with a Lady Eagle go-ahead runner at second base.
In the top of the ninth, Mildred hit a 2-out triple, scoring one run, then that batter who tripled came home on a throwing error on the same play. Mildred finished off Kerens in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-3 victory.
Eastman led Kerens with three hits March 3, featuring a triple and driving in a run. Jayden Brumit, Rickard and Dunham totaled two Lady Cat hits apiece. Spivey, besides doubling in a run, struck out 18 Mildred batters from the pitching circle.
In the March 10 win, Gonzales led Kerens with three hits, two of which were triples. Spivey also had three hits, driving in two runs in the process. Dunham, Eastman and Brumit also had multi-hit games.