What a difference a round makes.

The Poly Jackrabbits opened their 2010 Moore League schedule last month with a hotly contested 3-0 victory over Cabrillo.  Yesterday, the Jaguars met the Poly team head coach Ken Munger has been waiting to see all season.  The Jackrabbits mashed 20 hits in four innings and ran away from the Jaguars, 24-2.

“I was harsh,” said Munger of his demeanor in practice.  “And like the two early runs in this one, I think it woke them up.”

In the top of the first inning, with ace Ashley Betance-Kearn in the circle, Elena Gutierrez drew a leadoff walk and Marrisa Mosqueda followed it with a single for Cabrillo.  An errant throw two batters later put the Jaguars in the lead 2-0, but the Jackrabbits loaded the bases and team captains Christen Priddie and Desserey Amaro each drove in a run to tie the game.

Betance-Kearn came back out and settled in, striking out two of her four in the top of the second (5IP, 2H, 0ER) and the Poly bats took it from there.  Sending 17 batters to the plate, the Jackrabbits pushed 13 runs across in the bottom of the second with 10 hits and the help of one walk and two errors.  The highlights included a dying quail off the bat of Betance-Kearn you would have to see to believe, and two two-run inside-the-park home runs from Courtney Priddie, who has speed you have to see to believe.

“Up and down the lineup, this is by far the best we’ve put the bat on the ball this season,” said Munger.

Poly hung up three in the fourth and six more in the fifth as Priddie led the way with her two round-trippers to go along with four RBI, four runs scored, two walks and two stolen bases. Betance-Kearn had three hits and three RBI, while Amaro had two hits and three RBI.  Every spot in the lineup got on base twice and came around to score at least once.

Poly moves to 4-3 in the Moore League, and will take on Millikan on Tuesday.  Cabrillo falls to 2-5 and will travel to Compton on Tuesday.