Both the Angelina College softball and baseball teams will be in action at home on Thursday, with the No. 12 Lady Roadrunners battling the No. 2 Tyler Lady Apaches, and the Roadrunners opening a three-game stand with Panola College.
The Lady ‘Runners’ doubleheader starts at 3 p.m., and the Roadrunners will play the Ponies in a single, nine-inning game at 3 p.m.
No. 12 Lady Roadrunners vs. No. 2 Tyler Apaches
Inclement weather on Wednesday pushed back the showdown between the No. 2 and No. 12 teams in the nation, and the 12th-ranked Lady Roadrunners are itching for a chance at a little payback.
AC’s ladies dropped a doubleheader against the No. 2 Lady Apaches back on March 19, coming up short in both ends of a 3-2, 3-0 doubleheader sweep in Tyler. Since then, the Lady Roadrunners have averaged nearly eight runs per game, winning nine out of their last 12 contests to remain in the chase for the second-place spot in the Region XIV East Zone Standings.
The Lady ‘Runners would also love to hand the Lady Apaches their first conference loss of the season: Tyler is in first place with a spotless 22-0 record.
AC will also look to add to its recently established home run record, a mark set against Paris College last week. The team has combined for 67 dingers on the season, with freshman Taylor Davis leading the way with 13 round trippers. Kayla Boucher and Shay Vegas have blasted 10 each.
Game time for Thursday’s doubleheader is 3 p.m.
Roadrunners vs. Panola College
Despite suffering a three-game sweep to first-place Navarro last weekend, the Angelina College Roadrunners are still in the hunt for a playoff spot.
They’ll need to bounce back against Thursday’s foe, the Panola College Ponies, to keep their hopes alive.
AC (16-21, 7-11) will open a three-game series against the Ponies, with Thursday’s single, nine-inning game starting at 3 p.m. at Roadrunner Field in Lufkin. Saturday’s doubleheader will take place in Carthage and will start at 1 p.m.
Despite the recent struggles, the Roadrunners have shown plenty of bright spots. Chris Estrada is among league leaders in batting average, hammering the ball at a .363 clip. Mitch Henshaw (.352) and Daniel Lingua (.351) are right behind Estrada on the leader board. Jacob Finke leads the team in RBI with 24, with Estrada just back of Finke with 23.
On the pitching side of the ledger, Carson Lance is fourth in the league in strikeouts with 44 in conference play. Elijah Rodriguez has fanned 34 in 36 innings pitched.
Panola College (30-11, 10-8) is in second place in the conference’s East Zone.
Thursday’s game time is 3 p.m.
