Patriots Day in the East; Vaqueros split

By ECS Staff
Updated: April 14, 2017

Photo by Dwight Tinker

2017 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

EastCountySports.com

City Western League

Photo by Dwight Tinker

Patrick Henry 5, Scripps Ranch 4 – Big day by James and a later rally allow the Patriots to procure the league win over the Falcons.

Patrick Henry took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a lead double by HANNAH MCEWEN (2-4, R, 2B), a couple of batters later SAVANNAH CHAPMAN (RUN) reached on an error by the shortstop and MADISON JAMES (2-3, 2R, 5 RBI, 2 HR) followed that up by bombing a shot over the fence for the 3-run homer.

The Falcons would pull within a run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-2 thanks to multiple hits. Patrick Henry was retired in order in the top of the third inning, although James came close to extending the Patriot lead as she hit a ball deep and what looked like over the centerfield fence but Matteson was able to leap and make the catch which robbed James of the round tripper.

Scripps Ranch still trailing used a couple of base hits, a hit by pitch and a stolen base to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Now trailing for the first time in the game the Patriots went to work in the top of the sixth inning. Leading off was CASSIE VAN TIL (1-3, R, 2B), she advanced to third on a wild pitch, a couple of batters later with 2 outs James stepped to the plate and on a 1-0 count took the offering and jacked it over the fence for a 2-run blast to allow the Patriots to retake the lead 5-4. The homerun for James was her second on the day and also fifth run knocked in.

The Falcons would get a couple of runners on in the bottom of the sixth but James would get out of the inning to end the threat. She would retire the Falcons in order 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.

James’ big day included the 2 homeruns plus the 5 RBI and she came within inches of hitting a third homerun which would have been the first time in a game since 2014 when FALEPOLIMA AVIU of Rancho Buena Vista accomplished the feat against Granite Hills.

James in the victory tossed 7 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3.

City Eastern League

Christian 11, Madison 0 – In a game that was pretty much over early on the Patriots pounded out 14 in their league win over the Warhawks.

Christian got things going in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff single by KATIE LEPETRIE, a couple of batters later a single by TENAY BANEGAS, Lapetrie advanced to third on a wild pitch, ALLISON MCMAHON singled which scored Leptrie to make it 1-0, LAUREN SHERBURNE SINGLED reached on an error that scored Banegas to make it 2-0, SILENT RAIN ESPINOZA singled in a run to make it 3-0, AUDREY SHEBLOSKI singled, ASHLEY CARTER doubled in a couple of runs. When it was all said and done the Patriots led 6-0.

They would round out their scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning. Allison McMahon led off with a single, stole second base, Sherburne singled, Espinoza singled in a run to make it 7-0, Shebloski singled in a run to make it 8-0, Carter walked, she would score on a wild pitch to make it 9-0 and SHANNON MCMAHON singled which scored a couple of runs to extend the lead to 11-0.

The eleven runs would be all Carter would need as she tossed 6 innings in the victory, giving up 0 runs on 1 hit, walked 0 and fanned 7 on the day.

Las Vegas Spring Jamboree

Photo by Matt Burkett

Riverton 10, El Capitan 5 – A big second inning for Riverton dooms the Vaqueros in the first game of the day in the tournament.

The Riverton Silverwolves out of Utah would strike first as they scored a run in the top of the first to lead 1-0 early.

However the Vaqueros answered that run with one of their own in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a GRACE BURKETT (1-3, RBI) RBI single that scored AMANDA VASQUEZ (2R) who had gotten on when she was hit by a pitch. Now the score was knotted at 1-1.

Unfortunately the tie didn’t last as the Silverwolves took advantage of multiple hits and a couple of fielding errors by the Vaqueros to push across seven runs to take a 8-1 lead.

Riverton added another run in the top of the third to extend their lead to 9-1. El Capitan broke through in the bottom of the third inning when HANNAH DAVIS (1-2, R) led off with a single, Vasquez walked and ALEXA WILLIAMS (1-3, R, 3 RBI, HR) smashed a line drive shot over the center field fence for the 3-run jack to pull El Capitan within 9-4.

A leadoff solo shot by the Seawolves in the top of the fourth pushed the lead to 10-4. The Vaqueros would get what would be their last run in the bottom of the sixth when BAILEY OLAVESON (1-3, R, 2B) led off with a double, HANNAH HARVEY advanced Olaveson to third on a groundout, KATELYN COLLIER drove her in on a fly ball to left field to make it 10-5.

Williams would take the loss as she tossed 6 innings, giving up 10 runs on 12 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5.

El Capitan 9, EC Southwest 7 – The Vaqueros offense finally came alive in the late innings to rally for the victory in the second game of the day.

Things didn’t look good early on for El Capitan as they fell behind 3-0 thanks to multiple hits by the Eagles and a fielding error.

Again multiple hits by the Eagles in the bottom of the third lead to a couple more runs to extend their lead to 5-0.

Finally in the top of the fifth the Vaqueros offense broke through as GRACE BURKETT (1-2, R, RBI) led with a single, BAILEY OLAVESON (2-4, R), singled which advanced Burkett to third, and a couple of batters later HANNAH HARVEY (1-3, R, RBI) knocked in Burkett as she singled to make it 5-1. Olaveson would advance to third base on the single, Harvey stole second, Olaveson would score on an error to make it 5-2 and Harvey would score on a sacrifice fly by ALLYSON VON YOKES (RUN, RBI) to make it 5-3.

The Eagles answered with another run in the bottom of the fifth to push their lead to 6-3. Now trailing by three runs and running out of time the Vaqueros looked to get something going.

Leading off in the top of the sixth HANNAH DAVIS (RUN) draws a walk, AMANDA VASQUEZ (2-4, 2R, 2 RBI, 2B) singles to put runners at first and second, ALEXA WILLIAMS (2-4, R, RBI) singled to load the bases, Burkett draws a walk to score Davis to make it 6-4, a couple of batters MARIA LOTTA (1-1, 2 RBI, 2B) roped a ball to center that went for a double that scored both Vasquez and Williams to knot the game at 6-6.

So with the score tied heading into the seventh the game went into international tie breaker, El Capitan would have Von Yokes on second, ZANNDRA RAGOLE (RUN) sacrificed Von Yokes to third and Ragole would be safe, a couple of batters later Vasquez would rip a ball to center that went for a double that scored both Von Yokes and Ragole to give the Vaqueros the lead at 8-6, Williams singled which scored Vasques to extend the lead 9-6.

The Eagles in the bottom of the seventh would push across one more run to make it 9-7 with two outs and a runner at second on a double before Williams who came in to relieve would retire the final batter to end the contest.

Garnering the victory for El Capitan was Vasques who tossed 6 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs on 14 hits, walkeing 0 and striking out 4. Williams pitched 1/3 inning in relief, striking out 1.