Published: April 15, 2008 12:11 am         

Going gets tougher for baseball Lions

GREENVILLE — They lost 11-1 in five innings to a tough Forney team and its hard-throwing right-hander Vance Woodruff here Friday night.

The going may get even tougher for the Greenville Lions here tonight in another home game against No. 2 state-ranked Mesquite Poteet, which is 21-3 for the season. The District 10-4A contest is set for a 7:30 p.m. start at John Mason Field.

Poteet, second in the Texas Association of Baseball Coaches Association’s Class 4A state rankings, is alone in first place in the district standings with an 11-0 record. Among the Pirates’ 11 district wins was a 10-0 decision over Greenville back on March 20 in Mesquite.

Pirate pitcher Teddy Nowell limited the Lions to only five hits in that game. The Pirates managed 13 hits including a homer and a triple from J.T. Files and a double from Nowell.

Woodruff, whose fastball topped out at 89 mph on a radar gun, limited the Lions to only three hits in four innings on Friday night while striking out 10. The Lions scored an unearned run off reliever Tyler Jones in the fifth as Jones struck out two batters in two innings.

Forney scored its 11 runs against the Lions off eight hits and four errors.

Senior right-hander Klayton Moore is scheduled to start on the mound for the Lions. Moore last pitched in a 4-3 loss to Richardson Pearce last Tuesday, going the distance.

Moore, Rafael Sanchez and Logan Sharkey managed the Lions’ three hits against Forney.

That loss dropped the Lions down to 4-15 for the season and 3-8 in district play.

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Greenville’s Lady Lions are winding down their softball season. They have only two scheduled games left including one that starts at 7 tonight at Highland Park and their season finale at home on Friday against Rockwall-Heath.

The Lady Lions are 3-14 overall and 1-11 in district play following a 15-0 loss to Mesquite Poteet on Friday in Greenville. Poteet pitcher Bradie Baker limited the Lady Lions to only one hit by Marci Webb. Webb, who is batting over .600, kept her 17-game hitting streak alive. She also has 22 stolen bases.

Highland Park is 8-14 for the season and 2-10 in district play including a 15-14 loss at Greenville on March 17. The Lady Lions battled back from a 14-2 deficit. Danielle Cook went 4-for-4 and scored three runs to lead the Lady Lions, who also picked up three hits from Amber Moore and two each from Webb, Hayley Ellis and Sam Sepeda.

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The district schedule is winding down for other teams around the area.

Also on the baseball schedule are Commerce at Community, Wills Point at Royse City, Quinlan Ford at Rains, Farmersville at Anna, Lone Oak at Caddo Mills, Leonard at Aubrey, Bland at Sam Rayburn, Ector at Celeste, Dodd City at Wolfe City, Roxton at Campbell, North Hopkins at Cumby and Greenville Christian School at Carrollton Prince of Peace.

Other softball games scheduled include Quinlan Ford at Royse City, Commerce at Wills Point, Community at Rains, Anna at Farmersville, Lone Oak at Palmer, Caddo Mills at Dallas Life, Leonard at Aubrey, Bland at Sam Rayburn, Ector at Celeste, Dodd City at Wolfe City, Campbell at North Hopkins, Cumby at Fannindel and Greenville Christian School at Arlington Burton.