KELLER — Guyer had no problem getting runners on base and into scoring position Thursday night against Joshua, but cashing in on those opportunities was another story.

The Lady Wildcats stranded eight base runners, including five in scoring position, and came up short, 4-2, in Game 1 of a Class 4A Region I quarterfinal series at Charger Field.

“We didn’t get the big hit when we had runners in scoring position. I have no complaints about anything tonight except that,” Guyer head coach Keith Medford said. “I think we played great defense and we had runners all over the bases. We just couldn’t get them in.”

If the Lady Wildcats were guilty of anything, it wasn’t a lack of effort, but according to Medford, his team may have tried a little too hard to make things happen.

“When we get runners in scoring position, we don’t need to press. We’re a young team and we maybe got a little anxious,” Medford said. “The at-bats were great all night and we got people in the positions we wanted them in offensively and we just didn’t get it done. It happens sometimes.”

Guyer’s game plan early was to put the ball in play and force the Lady Owls into making plays, and it paid immediate dividends.

Kylee Crosek led off the game with a bunt single and Amber Gonzales followed with a sacrifice attempt that put runners on first and third after a high throw from Joshua third baseman Jordan Palmer.

Both Crosek and Gonzales later scored on errors. Layne Greenlee attempted to do the same, but a head first slide at the plate was halted by Lady Owls pitcher Kayci Wilson for the first out of the inning.

The Lady Wildcats (24-12-1) still had runners at second and third with just an out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.

Crosek gave up a run to Joshua in the bottom of the inning and found herself back at the plate with two on and no outs in the top of the second frame, but her bunt attempt this time didn’t work out.

The sophomore popped it up to the catcher and couldn’t move the runners around. Wilson retired the next two batters to end the inning.

Guyer rolled through three more innings defensively, but found itself in trouble with runners at second and third base. Ashley Clifton drove in one of those runs with a ground ball to shortstop that Gonzales attempted to go home with, but the throw was too late to prevent the run and allowed Clifton to sneak over the second base and put the Lady Owls (27-6) right back in the same position.

The next batter was Caitlin Force, who Crosek had disposed of easily in her first two at-bats, but with a one-strike count Force pounded the ball to center and drove in two more runs to give Joshua its first lead of the game at 4-2 – a score that held up.

The Lady Wildcats hit some balls well in the final three innings, but the best opportunities were swallowed up by Clifton, who showed tremendous range in center field.

Guyer will play its first must-win game tonight since the Lady Wildcats earned their playoff berth in the final regular season game of the year.

“All this means is that we’ve gotta play two more games. That’s all it means,” Medford said. “We still believe this season’s not over yet and these kids believe. Don’t count us out yet.”

Joshua 4, Guyer 2

WP – Kayci Wilson. LP – Kylee Crosek (22-10). Records – Guyer 24-12-1. Joshua 27-6.