Lady Rattlers 2-3 at district half

GIDDINGS — Navasota piggy backed off a great pitching performance by sophomore Emily Ripkoski to defeat the Lady Buffaloes 8-4, concluding the first half of District 26-4A play.

Ripkoski pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two runs on eight hits, striking out six and not surrendering a single walk.

Navasota got the scoring underway in the top of the second. Brianna Weaver reached on a one out single. Weaver advanced to second on an error and stole third base.

Alyssa Bustamante plated Weaver with a single to centerfield to give the Lady Rattlers a 1-0 advantage. Bustamante had a two hit night, going 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Navasota tacked on two more runs in the inning with Bustamante scoring on an error and Melissa Rapp scoring on a single by Mia Nunez.

Giddings responded with a run in the home half of the second, a solo homerun by Kaylee Burgdorf to narrow the lead 3-1.

The Lady Buffs shortened the gap further, plating another run in the third but allowed Navasota to extend the lead on a pair of runs scored on errors in the fourth. Navasota held a 5-3 advantage.

Navasota’s lady sluggers increased the lead 6-3, as senior Samantha Harris put a ball over the right field wall for a solo homerun.

The Lady Rattlers scored twice more in the sixth inning on errors. Giddings committed nine errors in the game.

Giddings finalized the scoring 8-4, adding a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Navasota totaled six hits as a team, including hits by Nunez, Harris, Weaver, Madison Bowman and Bustamante with two.

Navasota 2-3, in District 26-4A, is in a two-way tie for fourth-place with Caldwell. Bellville leads the district with a 4-1 record followed by Giddings and LaGrange sitting at 3-2.

The Lady Rattlers hosted Caldwell Tuesday (results were not available at press time).

Navasota travels to La-Grange for a 6 p.m. game Friday, April 5, and Bell-ville for a 6 p.m. first pitch Tuesday, April 9.