Tough season in the books
Mullen completes a difficult 2022, but remains positive and program leaders eager to rebuild outlay, particularly participation numbers.
AURORA – It began immediately after dropping a doubleheader to Smoky Hill by 31-18 and 11-5 on Saturday.
The Mullen girls won’t remember the won-loss record (3-20 overall, 0-12 in the Centennial League), the errors or the unearned runs.
No, they’ll always be fond of the relationships and togetherness developed in a very difficult 2022 season in which they dressed only 10 players and played as a 4A team in a 5A-based league.
It was evidenced by their upbeat attitude at the conclusion.
“In all honesty,” Mustangs head coach Dave Atencio sad, “this is just not about the lines. The team did grow. Where we were at in terms of our inexperience and some of the catches they made at the end of the year, they would not have been able to make them. Not even close.”
Mullen also turned in some of its top offense, plating 23 runs in 12 innings. Morgan Margeson had a four-run-batted-in game, Ona Medina scored three times and had a three-hit game, and Cadence Hurtado had a three-RBI outing.
“So you have to measure things in different ways with your team,” Atencio said. “This one, we just had so many kids who had never played softball or most of them had played minimal club ball. And that’s how you have to measure it.”
The Mustangs will lose three seniors, Atencio said, and must explore ways to increase the number of participants.
“The biggest thing for us,” Atencio said, “is to get better numbers. We need new blood … with 10 kids, you can’t sustain a program.
“You just hope they continue to learn and want to play.”
SMOKY HILL 31-11, MULLEN 18-5
Game 1
Smoky Hill 72(13) 09 – 31
Mullen 671 22 -- 18
Mullen – Medina 3-3-1-0, Margeson 4-1-4-4, Linares 1-2-0-0, Walters 3-2-1-1, Stewart 2-2-2-2, Martinez 2-2-0-1, Hurtado 6-1-0-0, Abbott 3-1-1-1, Gonzales 2-2-1-0, Oates 0-2-0-0. Totals 26-18-10-9.
E – Medina 3, Walters 2, Stewart 2, Gonzales 2, Linares, Margeson, Martinez. LOB – 9. SB – Linares, Walters, Stewart. HBP – Stewart. BB – Gonzales 2, Martinez 2, Medina 2, Walters 2, Abbott, Margeson, Oates, Linares, Stewart. 3B – Margeson, Stewart.
Pitching – Medina 2.2 IP, 13 H, 19 R, 9 ER, 4 BB, 2 K’s; Margeson 2.1 IP, 6 H, 12 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K’s. WP – Medina 6. Margeson. HBP – Margeson 2.
Game 2
Mullen 300 200 0 -- 5
Smoky Hill 301 016 x -- 11
Mullen – Medina 4-1-3-1, Margeson 4-1-1-0, Linares 4-0-0-0, Walters 4-1-0-0, Stewart 4-1-2-1, Martinez 1-0-0-0, Hurtado 4-0-1-3, Abbott 2-1-1-0, Gonzales 3-0-0-0, Oates 1-0-0-0. Totals 31-5-8-5.
E -- Gonzales 2, Walters, Martinez, Hurtado, Abbott. LOB – 7. HBP – Martinez. BB -- Abbott. 2B – Medina, Hurtado, Abbott.
Pitching – Margeson (L) 6 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 2 K’s. WP – Margeson. HBP – Margeson.
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