We’re officially done with the second week of Moore League softball play, and while the undefeated Lancers were taking the day off, the rest of the League jockeyed for position on Thursday.
Here are the standings as of this moment…
1. Lakewood (3-0)
2. Wilson (3-1)
3. Poly (2-1)
4. Millikan (2-2)
5. Cabrillo (2-2)
6. Jordan (0-3)
7. Compton (0-3)
And here’s how we got there, Thursday’s Game Stories…
Close One Goes Wilson Way Late, 2-0
The pitchers duel between Poly and Wilson was a clash of styles. Bruin starter Linzy Rother showcased her intimidating power, while ‘Rabbit starter Ashley Betance-Kearn kept hitters off balance with her crafty movement. And wouldn’t you know it, the game came down to one pitch.
Rother helped herself and Wilson to the win with a triple in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing in Jessica O’Donnell and breaking a scoreless tie. The younger Rother, sophomore catcher Lacey, came up next and grounded into the fielder’s choice that made it 2-0. The Rother battery returned in the top of the seventh and ended the game with just four pitches to get the final three outs.
The rest of the game went by as quickly as hitters went down, as six and a half innings lasted just an hour and fifteen minutes. In the first inning, both teams put runners on base, and both pitchers got out of trouble in their own way. Rother stuck out two, and Betance-Kearn got two weak pop ups.
From the second inning to the fourth, the two pitchers combined to face just three batters over the minimum. Rother got the complete game shutout with six strikeouts, two walks and just two hits. Betance-Kearn pitched six while giving up seven hits and striking out three. Both pitchers took advantage of a very wide, yet consistent, strike zone. Rother pounded the outside corner with heat, and Betance-Kearn kept her pitches on the hands of the Bruin power hitters.
Wilson got the first serious chance to take the lead in the third inning when speedster Megan Guzman got on with a chopper up the middle. Brandi Enriquez came up next and successfully executed the hit-and-run with a double down the line. A good throw from left fielder Desserey Amaro kept Guzman on third, and Betance-Kearn got another pop out (her sixth of the game) to end the threat.
Poly threatened in the fifth with a bloop single from MacKenzie Brewster and a walk to Amaro. Rother got another strikeout and a weak groundball to end the frame, and Wilson came right back in the bottom half with back-to-back singles from Justine Rentfrow and Guzman, who finished the day 3-for-3. But a great defensive play from third baseman Shanaira Austin to shortstop Nikki Sandoval to get the final out at third kept it scoreless.
In the bottom of the sixth, Rother came up with O’Donnell on first. On the first two pitches from Betance-Kearn, Rother tried to bunt the go-ahead run over, but fouled off the inside strikes. Ahead in the count, Betance-Kearn tried to lay a curve ball outside out of the zone, but it didn’t break enough, and Rother stroked it into the left/center gap. That one pitch was the difference.
“That’s one of our best games this year,” said Poly coach Ken Munger, who started four freshmen in the field and a sophomore in the circle. “We’re building for the future, and trying to scare as many teams as we can on the way.”
Coach Tim Rother (yes, the Dad) and his Bruins are already chasing the Lakewood Lancers for the Moore League title, and he was disappointed in, “the fact that we didn’t adjust earlier. Can’t take anything away from (Betance-Kearn) but we need to be better, sooner in games. When this team realizes how good we can be, we’ll be right where we need to be at the end of the season.”
Cabrillo Gets History Against Jordan, 6-1
A week ago yesterday, Cabrillo pitcher Janessa Martinez took a comebacker off her shin. Yesterday, she bounced back and went the distance, allowing just one run (unearned) five hits and struck out eight batters. Martinez and Annie Fuamatu each had a double and an RBI, while Siria Duran and Cynthia Gutierrez each scored two runs. The Jaguars scored a run in the first four innings and two in the sixth. That’s the first time in school history Cabrillo has beaten Jordan in Moore League play, and according to coach Armando Padilla, “this program goes a little further everyday.”
Millikan Takes Care Of Compton, 14-0
The Rams took this one in 5 innings (shortened due to run differential rule) as starting sophomore pitcher Brooke Cullison and junior Jordan Braggiotti combined for the no-hitter. Nina Sarno had two hits and an RBI, Brittany Adler had two hits and two RBI, and Eris Perez had two hits and three RBI.
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