No. 6 Barons deny Wolf Pack resume-building win

By ECS Staff
Updated: May 1, 2016

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul
© East County Sports.com

SANTEE (5-1-16) — In a battle between two teams looking to bolster their playoff positions, the No. 6 Bonita Vista Barons visited the West Hills Wolf Pack and rallied for a 6-5 victory, Saturday (Apr. 30).

The Barons got on the board first in the top of the first inning when they were able to push across a run to take a 1-0 lead early on. However the Wolf Pack answered with a couple of their own runs to take a 2-1 lead. With one out, BROOKE ROBERTS (2-3, 2 R) walked, a couple of batters later with 2 outs up stepped SIERRA SCHLICHTING (2-4, RBI, R, 2B) who got hold of one and banged out a double that scored Roberts, ALEX GUAY (2-3, 2 RBI, 2B) would knock in Schlichting with a solid double.

So now leading 2-1, the Wolf Pack went to work in the field for the top of the second inning. Sending their ace RYLEIGH DOBYNS to the circle, she was able to work her way out of jam after giving up back to back hits including striking out UCLA bound AALIYAH JORDAN to end the inning and the threat. The Wolf Pack would extend their lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second when SYDNEY CRAVEN (2-3, RBI, R, HR) would blast a two-out homer over the center field fence. It was all the Pack would garner in the inning.

Bonita Vista would go down in order in the top of the third inning. They would actually cut the Wolf Pack lead in the top of the fourth inning with a run to make it 3-2. West Hills in the bottom of the fourth would get a single by Craven before the Barons were able to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth, the Barons threatened again with one down as they got a couple of hits but a nice defensive play by KENDALL MARINESI on the grounder who then stepped on third and threw to first to get the double play and end the inning. West Hills took the momentum they had built and cashed in with it in the bottom of the fifth when Roberts led off with a single. She was advanced on the sacrifice by Pisia, Schlichting singled, Guay singled scoring Roberts and Schlichting was out at the plate on the throw for the second out, PAIGE BOWLER (1-3, RBI) singled in CAELI GIBBS (run) who had come into run for Guay to give the Wolf Pack a 5-2 lead.

Another jam was averted by the Wolf Pack in the top of the sixth inning as the Barons despite, multiple hits including reaching on an error, were not able to push anything across as Dobyns and the Pack clamped down and got out of the inning. West Hills went down in order in their half of the sixth to send it to the seventh and put themselves three outs away from claiming the victory.

However the momentum pendulum swung in the favor of the Barons as they hit back to back singles to start the top of the seventh inning. Things looked good as the next batter hit a routine grounder to third but an unfortunate error occurred as the ball went through the legs and into the outfield where it was also misplayed before being thrown back in. However a couple of runs were able to score to make it 5-4. So Dobyns took matters into her own hands as she was able to get the next two batters to both strike out looking for the 2 outs. The next batter was able to single scoring another run to tie the game at 5-5. It was now back to the top of the lineup as LANI GRAFT stepped to the plate, she would be hit by a pitch that didn’t break which brought up Jordan who on the 0-1 count took the offering and singled, scoring the go ahead run for the Barons. The inning finally ended but not before Bonita Vista took the lead 6-5.

So the Wolf Pack had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh to either tie the game to send it into extras or win it. Leadoff hitter Roberts lined to first for the first out of the inning, Pisia was called out on strikes for the second out and Schlichting was retired as well to end the game.

Dobyns on the day for West Hills would toss all 7 innings, giving up 6 runs of which only 2 were earned on 14 hits while walking 2 and fanning 6 in the hard luck loss.

Despite the loss the Wolf Pack still positioned themselves as a team to be reckoned with the rest of the season.