BELTON — Caleigh Robinson had already made quite an impression in the first inning of Belton’s offensive onslaught, but the senior had the opportunity to achieve more.
The Lady Tigers had scored 15 runs and were on their third trip through the lineup in the first when Robinson came to bat with a grand slam already in her stat line. Much like her previous at-bat, Robinson stepped into the box with the bases loaded.
“I really wasn’t thinking about hitting another home run. I just really wanted to make contact,” Robinson said.
The senior didn’t clear the fences for a second grand slam, but her fly ball was dropped by a Killeen outfielder, allowing three more runners to come home in Belton’s 18-run first inning that paved the way for a 26-2, four-inning victory Saturday afternoon.
Robinson finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and five RBIs for Belton (16-10, 5-0 District 12-6A), which routed Killeen (0-5 in district) after defeating Temple 21-0 on Tuesday. Miranda Davila went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, Paige Nunes registered three doubles and a pair of RBIs and Payton Cook drove in three runs while going 2-for-4 with a double.
The Lady Tigers added six runs in the second inning and two in the third.
Belton didn’t have to wait long to establish a sizeable lead. Consecutive doubles by Davila, Robinson and Nunes were followed by an outfield error and doubles from Cook and Izzy Gutierrez to make it 7-0.
Avery Drake walked in her second plate appearance of the inning and Davila reached on a bunt single to load the bases for Robinson, who sent a pitch from Alexa Herrera-Powell over the right field wall for a grand slam and an 11-0 lead.
The first-inning bombardment continued when Madison Ward drove in Nunes with a double, another run scored on an outfield error, and Gutierrez plated Cook with a double before a trio of Lady Tigers runners scored on Robinson’s fly ball. Belton recorded 15 of its 20 hits in the first inning and had just one extra-base hit the rest of the way.
Madison Cotton went the distance in the circle for Belton and allowed two runs on two hits while striking out five and walking two. Killeen’s Ashley Treese singled before Avalyn James hit a two-run homer that made it 24-2 in the top of the third.