DI: Patriots get play-in win; RB gets walk-off over Wolf Pack

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 16, 2018

2018 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

EastCountySports.com

SAN DIEGO CIF PLAYOFFS DIVISION I PLAY-IN GAMES

#11 PATRICK HENRY 8, #6 LA COSTA CANYON 4

The Patriots behind four runs in the top of the sixth break a tie game and procure the big road victory.

Patrick Henry got on the board first in the top of the second inning as Ari Rios (2-3, 2R) led off being hit by a pitch, after consecutive walks Lauren Nett (1-4, R, 2B) came to the plate with the bases loaded where she would draw a walk which scored Rios to make it 1-0.

The Patriots would add to their one-run lead in the top of the third inning with two outs as Rios singled, Dezianna Patmon (RUN) walked and Lili Pena followed with a walk to again load the bases, Maggie Zimmerly (1-2, R, 2 RBI, 2B) with two outs roped a double that scored both Rios and Patmon to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead.

However, in the bottom of the third, the Mavericks took advantage of their opportunities and pushed across four runs to take a 4-3 lead.

Moving along to the top of the sixth and trailing by one run, the Patriots started things off with a Zimmerly walk, a couple batters with one out Nett roped a double which advanced Zimmerly to third base, Simmons followed with a single which scored Zimmerly and advanced Nett to third based, Jessica Dewitt walked, H. Jenks followed with a single. Scoring for the Patriots in the inning was Nett, Simmons, Dewitt, and Jenks. With the five runs in the inning, Patrick Henry retook the lead 8-4.

It was a lead they would hold on to despite the Mavericks getting a couple runners on in the seventh inning but Jenks was able to shut down LCC.

#5 RANCHO BERNARDO 2, #12 WEST HILLS 0

The Broncos pulled out the victory in the bottom of the seventh in dramatic fashion with two outs to claim the wild victory.

West Hills had the first opportunity in the top of the first as Alyssa Bubar (1-5) led off with a single, Ashleigh Hartwig (2-3) grounded into a fielder’s choice in which Bubar was thrown out at second, with one out Star Gaylord (1-4) laced a single to advance Hartwig to second, Gabby Clippinger (1-4) grounded out which advanced Hartwig to third and Gaylord to second. However neither would be advanced any further.

After neither team could do anything on offense as both pitchers stymied the others’ offense the Wolf Pack in the top of the fourth had another opportunity. With one out Carly Bursch (2-3, 2B) smashed a double, Dakotta Mershon in to run, she would advance no further in the inning.

Moving to the top of the fifth, Hartwig led off with a single, she would be out on a lineout by Gaylord, a couple batters later Bursch hit a ball to center for a hit which advanced Gaylord to second, unfortunately, both would be stranded.

Neither team would score in the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.

With one out in the top of the eighth inning Hartwig lined a single to center, Mia Colabella into run, Gaylord hits into a fielder’s choice and Colabella was thrown out at second, Sabrina Brown into run, Clippinger singled to left advancing Brown to second, both would advance up on an error by the left fielder. With Brown on third and Clippinger on second base, Bursch was intentionally walked to load the bases. However, all would be stranded.

Rancho Bernardo would get a one-out single, Bursch would strike out the next batter for the second out and would finish off the inning with a strikeout a couple batters later.

In the bottom of the ninth after the Wolf Pack didn’t do anything in the top half, the Broncos got a lead single on a bunt to third, Bursch retired the next two batters and only needed one more out to get out of the inning. However, Allie Boaz had other ideas as she took the Bursch offering and hit a high towering fly ball over the left field fence for the dramatic walk-off two-run homer.

In the hard-luck loss for the Pack, Bursch went 8.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 4 hits while walking 3 and striking out 8.