Kitty Kat Softball Season is Underway

• Kitty Kat Junior, Faith Everitt, winds and throws to the plate. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
• Kitty Kat Senior shortstop, DJ Maciel, throws a runner out at first. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Yorktown Kitty Kat 2024 Softball Season is underway, as the team already has two weeks under its belt. This is the second year with Coach Courtney Clark at the helm, and she hopes to improve on last season. Clark returns three players from last year’s team: Senior DJ Maciel and juniors Faith Everitt and Audrena Hernandez. After that, the Kitty Kats are infused with youth, as eight freshmen are listed on the varsity roster. “We are definitely young,” said Clark. “I’m hoping that by the time that district rolls around, we will be battle-tested.”

The Kitty Kats opened the season with a loss to Goliad. Then, they played in the Palacios Tournament, where they posted a win against Bloomington and losses to Class 3A schools: Boling, Hitchcock and Palacios. Against Bloomington, freshman pitcher Kaylor Carriger picked up the win, while striking out eight batters. She also helped her cause by hitting a double and scoring a run. Freshman Rylie Krueger went 1 for 2 at the plate, drove in a run, scored two runs and stole four bases. Freshman Claire Person stole three bases and scored a run. Senior DJ Maciel and junior Audrena Hernandez drove in a run apiece.

On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, Yorktown traveled to Falls City to face the Beaverettes and came up short, 227. Freshman Amaya Luna had a double to drive in two runs. Hernandez had two RBIs in the game, while Maciel, Krueger and Carriger had one apiece.

This past Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2, 2024, the Kitty Kats played in the Schulenburg Tournament. In their first game on Friday, they defeated Snook, 5-3, then lost to Somerville. In the Snook game, junior pitcher Faith Everitt was the winning pitcher for Yorktown. Krueger had the hot bat for the Kitty Kats, as she went 2-for-3, with two inside-thepark home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored. Everitt also drove in a run. Against Somerville, freshman Kendall Sievers had three RBIs and a triple, while Hernandez drove in a run. On Saturday, the Kitty Kats defeated Rice Consolidated, 6-1, before losing to the host team Schulenberg. In the Rice Consolidated game, Everitt picked up her 2nd win of the season. Freshman Paige Deleon had two RBIs, while Everitt and Hernandez had one apiece.

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, Yorktown (37) will travel to Three Rivers to open up district play against the Lady Bulldogs, then host the Runge Lady Jackets on Friday, March 8, 2024.