Texas Aces High School Highlights

DICKINSON — Destiny Cooper’s struggles at the plate appear to be over. The Dickinson first baseman drove in three runs, and Holly Anderson tossed a one-hitter as the Lady Gators shut down the Santa Fe Lady Indians, 3-0, in a District 23-4A softball game Monday night.

“I’m coming around,” said Cooper, who was 2-for-3 with two doubles. “I’ve been struggling (since) the beginning of the year. I’m more relaxed at the plate now.”

Cooper’s heroics — all with two outs — made things a little easier for Anderson (3-8 overall, 1-5 district). She struck out eight, walked three and hit a batter.

“Coop’s just really seeing the ball lately,” Dickinson coach Missy Milutin said. “She hit the ball well against Texas City. It was nice. It was nice that we played well defensively. Our pitching did well. It was just a total team effort.”

Cooper put Dickinson (8-13, 2-8) up early with a two-out, RBI double in the first inning. Ashley Ginn, who singled ahead of her, scored on the hit.

Cooper added some insurance with a two-run double in the fifth inning. It proved to be some nice hitting. Dickinson had runners at second and third with two outs, and Santa Fe pitcher Stacie Tassin was trying to pitch around Cooper. She ended up driving an outside pitch into the gap in right center.

“It felt good,” Cooper said. “Like I said, I was struggling. But I feel good now.”

Ashley Burkeen started the inning by reaching on an error. Anderson walked. Danielle Feliz moved both over with a sacrifice bunt. Tassin got Ginn to hit a comebacker to the mound. But Cooper came up with the big hit to give Dickinson a 3-0 lead.

Tassin (11-9, 5-4) gave up seven hits. She struck out six and walked one.

She could have had better luck had she got some help offensively. But Anderson and the Lady Gators cut down two runners at the plate.

With runners at second and third with one out in the fifth inning, Anderson fielded Lauren Davis’ grounder and threw to Ginn at third to trap Kayla Wulf in a rundown. Wulf was eventually tagged out at home on Ginn’s throw to catcher Brittany Calderon.

Anderson got Bobbie Salas to ground out to second to end the threat with runners at second and third.

Dickinson pulled off the same 1-5-2 play to get Lindsey Clarac at the plate in the sixth inning. Clarac led off the inning with a triple. But Anderson struck out Jessica Ebbs, and she got Tassin to hit a hard comebacker to the mound. Anderson made a quick throw to Ginn, catching Clarac off the bag at third. Clarac was thrown out at home.

“I was just thinking, ‘She’s far off. I’ve got to get her,’” Anderson said. “So I nailed her.”

Anderson coaxed Jenny Biela to hit a comebacker, with Tiffany English, the courtesy runner for the pitcher Tassin, at second base, to end the inning.

Santa Fe (12-13, 5-4) left seven runners stranded, including seven in scoring position.

“They hit the ball well,” Santa Fe coach Trish Leidy said. “When we hit the ball, we hit the ball well — it was just to somebody. We didn’t get our timely hits when we needed them.”

It was a nice win for the Lady Gators, who had only beaten last-place La Marque before the victory. Dickinson’s lost several one-run games, including a 3-2 loss to Santa Fe the first meeting this year and a 3-2 loss to Texas City last week.

“For once we came through,” Milutin said. “Things went our way.”