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The Rice Junior All-Star softball team went undefeated in the district tournament to capture the district championship on Saturday, June 20, in Smithville.
Rice gave up only seven runs in three games while scoring 45 runs to cruise to winning the district championship.
They won their first game with a score of 144, and Allison Lugo had a great game. She, along with Melanie Aquino, hit a double in this game. Lugo was also in the circle for most of the game and gave up only four runs on seven hits while striking out eight batters.
In game two of the tournament Rice faced Hempstead, and they came out firing on all cylinders. In the first inning, Rice scored 10 runs to give themselves a comfortable lead.
They extended their lead by four runs in the second inning then scored once more in the third to arrive at the final score of 15-0. Aiyleen Ruvalcaba led the team on offense as she hit a triple and recorded five RBIs in the shutout victory.
Defensively, Sierra Pena was in the circle and gave up only one hit while striking out five batters in three innings. This set the stage for the championship game where Rice faced Smithville.
Rice jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and extended it to 4-0 in the top of the second inning. Smithville then scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning, but this would be the only runs they scored in the game.
Rice scored two runs in the third inning and three runs in the fourth inning to bring the score to 9-3. In the top of the sixth inning, Rice’s offense surged once more scoring seven runs to arrive at the final score of 16-3.
Pena hit the only double for Rice, but she also spent a lot of time in the circle. She pitched four innings, giving up only two hits while striking out six batters to help her team win the district championship.
After winning the district championship, the Rice Junior All-Star team now waits for the state tournament to start in three weeks and will take place in Beasley.
