The Moore League match up yesterday afternoon at Joe Rodgers Field between Wilson and Millikan was so close that you really can’t point to one play as the turning point. You have to point to an inning. It was so close, the two teams traded errors in the sixth inning to decide it, and the Bruins got one more hit to pull away from the Rams, 4-3.
With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Taylor Florentino and Brooke Cullison got back-to-back singles for Millikan. With two outs, Nicole Mendez sent a hard chopper to the left side. Florentino was running to third and was right in front of Wilson shortstop Brandi Enriquez as the ball got there. The ball bounced off her glove and squirted into the grass as Florentino came around to score to make it 3-2 Millikan.
In the bottom of the frame, Alleah Laxamana and Ashley Hollowood got back-to-back singles for Wilson. With two outs, Salena Tellez sent a line drive up the middle that bounced off Millikan pitcher Cullison. The junior picked up the ball as quickly as she could and gunned one to third base to try and get the lead runner. But the ball sailed high and Laxamana came around to score and tie the game. Enriquez came up next and knocked the game-winning single into left field to bring in Hollowood and give Wilson the lead for good, 4-3.
Wilson pitcher Hannah Duarte came out to sit Millikan down in order in the seventh, a perfect way to cap the outstanding outing for the sophomore. Millikan scored on an error in the second inning, and then in the third Brittany Adler sent a seeing-eye line drive into the gap in left that found it’s way to the fence. The junior got on her hoarse and scored without a throw for the inside-the-park home run to give the Rams the 2-0 lead.
But after the second run, Duarte would only give up two more hits. She finished with seven innings pitched while giving up just six hits and striking out two.
“You can’t give away runs like that in a close game like that,” said Millikan head coach Don Harper. “That’s a game we thought we had… we had too many opportunities to pull away and we didn’t take advantage.”
Wilson took advantage of an error in the third inning, and freshman Kori Cochran’s RBI single tied the game at two before the teams got to the sixth.
“We win when we pitch well and play good defense,” said Wilson head coach Chris Leveque. “(Duarte) pitched a great game, and to be honest we got a little lucky.”
The win evens Wilson’s books as they improve 4-4 overall, and 1-1 in the Moore League. They will see Jordan on Thursday. Millikan falls to 5-5 and 1-2 in league. They will return home to see Cabrillo on Thursday.
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