The Taylor Lady Ducks varsity softball team opened district play with a 6-2 victory over the Marble Falls Mustangs on Tuesday, March 3 at Taylor High School.
It marks the first time in four seasons that Taylor has opened district play with a win.
Junior utility player Anaih Arroyo earned the victory, pitching 4.2 innings while allowing two runs and striking out six.
Sophomore utility player Payton Burrow closed out the game, tossing 2.1 innings without allowing a run on a hit and striking out three.
The Mustangs got on the board first, scoring a run in the top of the first inning after a walk by Arroyo brought a runner home.
Taylor was scoreless in the bottom half of the inning before taking a 2-1 lead. Senior Chandler Woodruff delivered a bases-clearing triple to drive in two runs. Woodruff finished the game 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
The Lady Ducks added to their lead in the third inning. A single from freshman Kennedy Pleasants helped spark the rally, and Taylor scored two runs on a throwing error to extend the lead to 4-1.
Both teams were scoreless in the fourth inning before Marble Falls cut into the deficit with an RBI single in the top of the fifth to make it 4-2.
Taylor added two more runs in the sixth inning on an error and a sacrifice fly from Burrow to put the game away.
Burrow retired the Bulldogs in order in the final inning to secure the win. The Lady Ducks finished with six hits in the game.
With the victory, Taylor improved to 8-9 overall and 1-0 in district play. The Lady Ducks will host Salado on Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m.
