Bulldog softball opens season at Cougar Classic, beats Patrick Henry
By Bill Tamburrino
The varsity softball team opened the season in the Cougar Classic at Kit Carson Park in Escondido, by beating Patrick Henry and losing to Mission Hills and La Costa Canyon.
Four unearned runs marred a good pitching performance by Kailey Hill as the Bulldogs girls lost their opener to Mission Hills 4-3.
“We left nine runners on base and we looked at some third strikes with runners in scoring position. Those are mistakes that you make in an opener that we can correct. We did hit the ball well,” said co-coach Cori McDonald after the game.
Ramona got hits from Adrianna Johnson, Julie Ward, Jazmin Simone, Hayley Brinker, and Cassie Jimenez. Johnson’s hit was a triple and she also scored a run. Brinker had an RBI. Amber Davis was the only Lady Bulldog with multiple hits. Davis drilled a triple and a recorded a single and scored a run in a 2-for-3 outing.
“We out hit them but things didn’t go our way. Kailey (Hill) hit a ball with runners on and their leftfielder made a great play on the ball to end an inning and a rally. We will improve,” said McDonald.
Johnson led off the Patrick Henry game with a single. Barrameda sacrificed her to second and Hill drove her in with a single, and the Lady Bulldogs had a lead that they would not relinquish as they beat the Patriots 5-3 in the second game of pool play.
Hill went the distance in the circle and picked up the win as she went seven innings and gave up two earned runs on eight hits and struck out eight.
The girls’ top three hitters recorded six hits. Johnson had a 2-for-4 outing with a triple and scored twice. Barrameda went 1-for-3, scored a run, and had an RBI. Hill went 3-for-4, drove in three runs and had the blast of the game a two-run home run in the third inning. Ashley Pittman went 1-for-3.
Every Lady Bulldog put the ball in play as there were no strike outs in the game.
“Every hitter made contact and good things happen when you put the ball in play. Julie Ward made the defensive play of the game in right field when she turned a for sure triple into a fly out with a running catch. Kailey’s home run was a shot. It would have gone over any fence in the CIF. We made some errors but it is early in the season and we will improve and cut down on the errors,” stated McDonald.
The Bulldog girls lost to La Costa Canyon 7-4 in a game that was rescheduled due to rain. Alissa Hiener got her first varsity start and went three-plus innings and took the loss. Hiener gave up six runs on nine hits and struck out one. Hill finished the game in the circle and struck out six in three innings as she gave up one unearned run.
Simone was the only Lady Bulldog with multiple hits as she had a 2-for-2 outing. Davis went 1-for -2 with an RBI. Johnson, Barrameda, Hill, Ward, and Jimenez all went 1-for-3 at the plate.
The Bulldog girls will continue in the Cougar Classic and also play in the Falcon Fiesta and the North County Tournament as they play a demanding schedule to get ready for Valley League action.