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Softball wins CIF opening playoff, loses to RB in second round

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By Bill Tamburrino

Ramona’s Lady Bulldog softball team used the hot bat of Amber Davis, the clutch pitching of Kailey Hill and the sacrifices of Kim Whelehon and KK Melgoza to beat Valhalla High School 4-2 in the opening round of the Division II CIF playoffs.

Ramona faced Palomar League foe, Rancho Bernardo High School (21-8-1), for the third time this season in the second round of the CIF playoffs and lost 6-1. The Lady Dawgs have lost all three games to Rancho Bernardo and have been limited to one hit in each of the last two games.

The loss put Ramona in the losers’ bracket in the double elimination tournament where they are scheduled to face another familiar opponent — Valhalla High School — on Tuesday, May 22. The Lady Dawgs are 18-9-1 on the season.

In the opening CIF round against Valhalla, Hill got the start and went the distance to pick up the win as she limited the Norsewomen to six hits. Hill struck out nine and walked four. Valhalla (17-15) scored two unearned runs in the sixth inning on a throwing error by Hill with two outs. Valhalla also sent the go ahead run to the plate with two out in the seventh but Hill shut the door with a strike-out to end the game.

The Lady Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning by playing short ball. Davis reached on a hit. Whelehon sacrificed her to second and she advanced to third on an error. Davis scored on a wild pitch.

The Lady Dawgs added three runs in the fourth inning. The key play was a two RBI single by Davis that scored Melgoza and Jazmin Simone after they had singled in the inning. Davis eventually scored to make it a 4-0 game.

Besides her clutch sacrifice, Whelehon also singled in the game. Melgoza recorded a hit for the Lady Dawgs as did Adrianna Johnson.

In the second round of the CIF playoffs, Rancho Bernardo’s Sara White shut down the Lady Dawg offense as she surrendered the only hit of the game to KK Melgoza. Melgoza scored on a sacrifice fly by White’s foe in the circle, Kailey Hill.

Hill struggled with her control for most of the game as she gave up seven walks, struck out five and surrendered six hits.

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