Domination: Bronco Softball holds West Mesquite hitless

May 15, 2025

By Tony Adams

Lake Belton Softball’s journey through the Class 5A-Division I playoffs continued Thursday, as the Broncos took on the West Mesquite Wranglers in a best two-of-three series at Hill College in Hillsboro.

The series was delayed by a day due to storms in the area.

The Broncos set the tone for the series from the outset with a 10 run first inning, and Maddison Ruiz and Natalie Hosch combined for a no-hitter in game one and a perfect game in the second game to sweep the Wranglers.

The scores of the doubleheader were 17-0 and 11-0, both games in five innings.

Ruiz struck out the first six batters she faced, tossing 23 pitches in the first two innings, with 18 strikes.

Lake Belton (33-2) began its barrage with bases-loaded walks to Brysen Gott and Ruiz. Alaysha Williams’ sacrifice fly scored Madison Naser. Lily Herrera doubled home Maliyah Gooden and Gott, Alexis Ortiz drew a bases-loaded walk, Madison Perkins’ two-run single scored Analicia Diaz and Addison Sims, Naser’s sacrifice fly scored Ortiz, and Ruiz reached on an error that scored Perkins to give the Broncos a 10-0 lead.

The Broncos added five additional runs in the second inning. A two-run double by Perkins, a pair of RBI doubles from Gott and Sims and an RBI single by Diaz increased Lake’s lead to 15-0.

Trista Sheka’s sacrifice fly in the fourth and Gott’s RBI single in the fifth rounded out the Broncos’ scores in the opener. Lake drew seven walks, was hit by four pitches, and reached on one error.

Gott led the Broncos with three hits and three runs batted in. Perkins went 2-of-3 with four RBI and three runs scored and Herrera had two runs batted in. Ortiz was 2-of-2 with two walks and two runs scored.

Ruiz picked up the win in the circle. Hosch pitched three innings, allowed one walk, a baserunner on an error, and struck out five.

The Broncos hopped on the scoreboard in the top of the second, with Naser grounding out to score Ortiz and Perkins stealing home during a double-steal.

Ortiz homered over the leftfield wall in the third inning, and Ruiz added an RBI single to double the Broncos’ lead to 4-0. Ortiz picked up another RBI on a single to left in the fourth.

Lake put the topper on the series in the fifth inning with a bases-loaded walk to Diaz, a three-run triple by Ortiz, and RBI double by Gott.

Hosch pitched four perfect innings with one strikeout and Ruiz ended the series with three strikeouts in the fifth to seal the combined perfect game.

Ortiz went 4-of-4 with five RBI, Gott went 2-of-3 with an RBI, and Ruiz went 3-of-3 with an RBI.

“It was another good test for us,” Lake Belton head coach Kelsie McEachern said. “One through nine, we were consistent and were steady in the field. Maddi and Natalie were excellent for us in the circle.”

The Broncos will take on Frisco Walnut Grove in the Class 5A-Division 1 Region Semi in a one-game playoff in Alvarado Friday at 7 pm.