Small ball ruled at Joe Rodgers Field yesterday as Wilson and Poly went back and forth in a Moore League softball tilt, but it was Jackrabbit shortstop Melissa Diaz’s RBI double in the top of the sixth inning that turned into the game-winner as the Bruins were upset, 3-2.
Poly junior Ashley Betance-Kearn and Wilson sophomore Hannah Duarte each went the distance in the circle, giving up six and five hits respectively, but Betance-Kearn got the win by shutting the door in the bottom of the sixth and seventh. She retired the side in order almost immediately after Diaz’s double, and got the final out at first on a sharp comebacker with the tying run at third and winning run at second.
Duarte showcased her pinpoint accuracy and power while only gave up two hits in the first five innings. Betance-Kearn, who called her own pitches with an assistant coach out of town, proved again that her curveball is tops in the league. All the Bruin hitters continued to try and pull the junior’s off-speed offerings, and all six hits went up the middle or to the opposite field.
“They beat us bad last time,” said Betance-Kearn of the Wilson 11-0 victory Poly last month. “I studied (the scouting report) on what they did in that game, and I just tried to adjust, stay away and keep everything down.”
CLICK HERE to read about Betance-Kearn’s journey back after a freak injury against Wilson last year
With an inconsistently wide strike zone both pitchers took some time to adjust, so the offense got started early as Courtney Priddie led off the game with a walk. She stole second, took third on a fielder’s choice, and with one out Diaz chopped one to third. The Bruins got the out at first, but the throw home joined a hard collision between Priddie and Wilson catcher Alleah Laxamana. They went shoulder to shoulder and it was a clean play, but the ball squirted loose and there was no question the senior had given Poly the 1-0 lead. Both players went to the ground after, and Ashley Hollowood replaced Laxamana.
The Bruins answered in the bottom of the second when Duarte (2-for-3) led it off with a bloop single to right field. Hailey Sarne ran for the pitcher and was safe at second on an error before she scored on Salena Tellez’s RBI single up the middle to tie it, 1-1.
More small ball gave Wilson the lead in the fifth when Brandi Enriquez reached on an error and stole second and third on consecutive pitches. Hollowood’s RBI sacrifice fly to center gave the Bruins their first lead, 2-1.
Poly came right back in the sixth and again Priddie led off with a walk. Priscilla Pino followed that with an infield single and they both moved into scoring position on stolen bases. Two pitches later, Diaz sat on an 0-2 fastball and smoked a line drive down the third baseline. It was impressive that freshman third baseman Kori Cochran even got a glove on the hot shot, but the ricochet rolled into right field and both Priddie and Pino came around to score to give Poly the lead, 3-2.
Betance-Kearn came back out to the circle for the bottom of the sixth and set the Bruins down in order, but Wilson more than threatened in the seventh. Tellez and Hollowood each singled and with two outs they moved to second and third on a throwing error. However, the first pitch to Kori Cochran was chopped hard back up the middle and Betance-Kearn snagged it with the backhand and threw over to first for the final out.
With the win Poly improves to 6-4 in the Moore League, while Wilson drops to 7-3.
CLICK HERE to read about Betance-Kearn’s journey back after a freak injury against Wilson last year