Advertisement

Softball games turn into pitching duels for Ramona High

Share

By Bill Tamburrino

The Ramona High Bulldog softball team lost two pitching duels in the final games of the Falcon Fiesta.

The Lady Dawgs were shut by Carlsbad and Westview to end the tournament portion of the season. The girls will enter Valley League play with a 9-10 record.

Kailey Hill and Shelley Procter locked up in a classic pitching duel in a Falcon Fiesta Tournament game at Carlsbad High. The Lancers prevailed as they scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Bulldog girls 1-0.

Hill threw seven-plus innings and limited the Lancers to three hits, all singles. The junior right-hander struck out nine Lancers and only surrendered two walks. Procter did not allow a walk. Ramona committed three errors. Carlsbad played error free ball.

Lead-off hitter Jazmin Simone had a three-hit day and reached base four times to lead the offense. Ramona’s only other hits came in the sixth inning when the Lady Dawgs loaded the bases on consecutive hits by Hill, Julie Ward, and Amber Davis with one out. Procter then struck out the next two Bulldogs to end the inning. Procter struck out 13 Ramona batters in the pitching duel.

Carlsbad won the game in the eighth inning. The international tie-breaker rule was applied.

In the international tie-breaker a runner is placed at second base at the beginning of the inning. Carlsbad advanced the runner to third by way of a sacrifice bunt and the runner scored on an error. In the top of the frame, Simone was given second base in the tie-breaker. With one out, Ward hit a line drive that had double written all over it but Carlsbad’s second baseman made a play and doubled Simone off of second to end the inning.

“It was a pitcher’s duel all the way. After the first inning everybody knew that the first team to score would win the game. Carlsbad is a Division I team and is very good. We hung in there and battled them all the way but they got us in extra innings,” said coach Cori McDonald.

Ramona’s bats remained dormant at La Costa Canyon High School as the Bulldog girls lost to Westview High School 1-0 in the their final game of the Falcon Fiesta.

Two Ramona pitchers pitched well but the Lady Dawg offense could not score a run. For the second game in a row, Ramona left the bases loaded in the late innings down by one run.

Alissa Hiener got the start in the circle and took the loss as she went two innings and gave up two hits and one run. Westview’s lead-off hitter opened the game with a double and scored on a two out single. That ended the scoring in the game. Hill finished in the circle and only surrendered one hit and struck out six.

Ramona threatened to score three times. In the third inning Hill and Simone singled but both runners were stranded. In the fifth inning Ashley Pittman drew a base on balls and advanced to third on Simone’s double, but again both runners were stranded. In the seventh, Ramona loaded the bases. Heather Celaya, Hill, and Adrianna Johnson all singled but again the Lady Dawgs left the runners stranded to end the game. Bre Hirsh hit a single in the second inning but she too was left on base.

Pitching is the name of the game and the Bulldog girls have been getting consistently good pitching.

“If our bats come around in league we can contend for the league title,” said McDonald.

Advertisement

At a time when local news is more important than ever, support from our readers is essential. If you are able to, please support the Ramona Sentinel today.