Bulldog softball tied for first place in league play
By Bill Tamburrino
The Ramona High School girls softball team continues to play excellent softball as they beat Canyon Crest Academy and Poway and lost to Torrey Pines in a very busy week on the diamond.
The Lady Bulldogs are now 14-5 overall and are 3-2 in the very tough and evenly matched Palomar League. Ramona, Torrey Pines, Rancho Bernardo and Mt. Carmel are tied for first place in the Palomar League with 3-2 records. With five games to go in league play the team that gets hot will be the league champion.
Ramona started the week by beating Canyon Crest Academy 11-3 in a game that was shortened by the eight run mercy rule.
Ramona girls took the early lead as they got off to a 2-0 start in the first inning. The Ravens made it a 2-1 game in the third but the Lady Dawgs rallied for three runs to lead 5-1 after three innings. Canyon Crest (1-11, 1-4) scored two runs in the fifth to make it a 5-3 game and wake up the Lady Dawg offense.
Ramona rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
Julie Ward got the start in the circle and went the distance to pick up the win. Ward struck out six in five innings but struggled with her control as she walked five. She gave up three runs on five hits.
Amber Davis had a big day at the plate. Davis went 2-for-2, scored two runs, drove in two runs with a home run and scored three runs. Kailey Hill, KK Melgoza, Adrianna Johnson and Ally Harvey all stroked singles and drove in runs for the Lady Dawgs. Hill and Melgoza had two RBIs apiece.
Ramona traveled to Poway (10-6, 3-2) and the two teams locked up in a classic pitchers’ duel. Kailey Hill won the duel as she limited the Titans to no runs on two hits and struck out eight while issuing four walks. Poway’s Brianna Parker suffered her first loss of the year as she limited Ramona to four hits and fanned seven Lady Dawgs.
Ramona made the most of their four hits. Davis had another two hit game as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored a run. Hill helped her cause with a 1-for-3 outing with an RBI and a run scored. Adrianna Johnson stepped up with a 1-for-3 outing with an RBI.
Hill locked up in another pitching battle against Torrey Pines (22-4, 3-2) at home to end the week. Hill won the battle but lost the game as she struck out 14 Falcons and gave up two hits (one a bunt single)and walked only one. Torrey Pines’ duo of Taylor Lee and Rachel Nasland teamed up to fan 12 Lady Dawgs and limited Ramona to two. Hill and Jazmin Simone were the only two Lady Dawgs to collect hits in the game.