The Hutto Hippos varsity softball team has been dominant in district play winning six straight after dropping its opener to Stony Point earlier in the season.
The Lady Hippos improved to 6-1 overall with double-digit victories over Cedar Ridge on March 13 and Vandegrift on March 16.
Cedar Ridge
Hutto secured a 15-5 win in six innings against the defending district champions. Junior Keyouna Harris led the way, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs, as the Lady Hippos totaled 20 hits.
Hutto trailed 5-1 after two innings but flipped the momentum the rest of the way. The Lady Hippos scored four runs in the third inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double from freshman Brooklyn Moldenhour and an RBI single from junior Ayanna Marquez, cutting the deficit to 5-4.
Moldenhour and Marquez combined to go 3-for-6 at the plate.
Hutto tied the game in the fourth inning on an error following a popout, then took an 8-5 lead on a three-run home run by Harris.
Sophomore Bailey Kelley got the start in the circle but was relieved after allowing five runs on three hits in two innings. Junior Molly Krieg earned the win in relief, allowing no runs on one hit with four strikeouts.
The Lady Hippos added three runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth to secure the run-rule victory.
Sophomore Kaelyn Price also contributed, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Vandegrift
It was more of the same for Hutto, which defeated Vandegrift 15-5, though this time it went the full seven innings.
The Lady Hippos recorded 10 hits and had four players drive in two runs each. Hutto again faced an early deficit, trailing 2-1 entering the second inning, but tied the game on an RBI double by Marquez.
Vandegrift extended its lead to 5-2 with three runs in the third inning, but Hutto responded with three runs in the fourth, capitalizing on two errors with the bases loaded.
Hutto took its first lead on back-toback RBI singles from junior Kiyoke Earle and senior Sophie McElyea to make it 7-5. The Lady Hippos added another run later in the inning on a walk to extend the lead to 8-5.
Earle added an RBI double to make it 9-5, and Hutto broke the game open with a six-run seventh inning.
Freshman Jenna May started in the circle, but Kelley entered in relief and earned the win, allowing no runs on one hit with six strikeouts.
Hutto improved to 6-1 in district play, with all six wins coming by double digits.
The Lady Hippos faced first-place Vista Ridge on Tuesday and will return to action against Stony Point on March 24 at home at 7 p.m., looking to avenge their only district loss of the season.
