ABOVE: Blake Webb makes a double play during the Lady Badgers’ game against Llano on Tuesday. PHOTO BY NICK FORRESTER The Lampasas softball team was dealt a big blow in the first inning of Tuesday’s game against Llano.

After senior lead-off hitter Tealey Farquhar connected for a single, the Lady Badger stole for second base.

Llano realized at the last second that Farquhar was stealing, and the Lady Jackets made a desperate attempt to try to throw her out. Farquhar was able to slide into second base in plenty of time, but the ball was thrown right into her shoulder.

After a wild pitch moments later, Farquhar scored the Lady Badgers’ first run, but then she was done for the rest of the game.

“That was a big blow,” Lampasas coach Rusty Erwin said. “The next two times she would’ve been up, there were runners in scoring position, and we didn’t get them in.

“She’s kind of our spark plug. When she goes, we go. So when you take her out, it’s tough.”

Despite playing most of the game without Farquhar, the Lady Badgers (20-7, 6-1) were able to use four runs in the first two innings to defeat Llano 5-1.

Later in the first inning, Kelsi Gilseth brought in Marisa Maldonado on a hit and, in the second inning, Hailey Morrison had a two-run single that scored Maldonado and Kayleigh Farquhar.

“I was proud of the girls that still produced and kept things going [after Farquhar was injured],” Erwin said. “The girls just shook it off, so I’m proud of them.”

If the Lady Badgers – who have three games remaining in the regular season – beat Salado tonight, they will clinch a playoff spot.

“We knew we needed to have this win tonight for the playoff race, and it gets easier in the second round because you know the teams better,” senior Hadley Brown said.

Brown and Maldonado each had two hits. Morrison had two RBI’s, while Blake Webb and Maldonado had one RBI apiece. Kady Crow had six strikeouts on the mound.

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For a photo gallery of Tuesday’s game, please log onto lampasasdispatchrecord.com.