Kyra Ferenczy hit a solo home run in the third. This
swing is during a later at-bat.
swing is during a later at-bat.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
La Jolla's softball team got hitting from throughout the lineup and played a spectacular game defensively, for the most part, as the Vikings put away visiting Mission Bay, 6-0, Sat., May 21 to go into the CIF Division 4 semifinals.
Coach Anthony Sarain's squad will play Christian High at noon Thurs., May 26, at the Santee SportsPlex. If the Vikings win, they will move into the finals two days later. If they lose, they have to win a 2 p.m. game Thursday afternoon to make the finals, or be eliminated from the playoffs.
Freshman Kyra Ferenczy hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third, her fourth of the season, pitched a complete-game shutout, and cleanly caught a line smash back to the pitcher's circle to end the game in one of the Vikings' defensive gems.
First baseman Emily Alvarez, with her big sister Stephanie watching from behind the backstop, continues to play the best baseball of her career in the playoffs. Alvarez drove in two runs in the third, when La Jolla broke the game open, and leaped to catch a liner to the right side in another good play with the glove.
The Vikings continued their offensive power, with nine hits coming from all parts of the order. Sophomore Ava Verbrugghen drove in a run in the crucial third with a single. Catcher Hailey Ramos drove a single to right soon after to plate Alvarez with La Jolla's sixth run, all but one coming in the same inning.
In the Vikings' first-round playoff win two days earlier, also at home, they had pulverized Mission Vista with 16 base hits in an 8-1 victory.
Power hitter Linda Brown, with her robust .500 average, isn't seeing too many offerings she can drive, as opposing pitchers avoid giving her anything within range of her potent bat. Brown had to settle for driving in La Jolla's first run in the bottom of the first on a dribbler back to the pitcher, which allowed Josie Sinkeldam to come in from third. Linda was thrown out at first on the play.
The junior third baseman also played a part in the Vikings' five-run barrage in the third, singling to load the bases for Alvarez's two-run hit.
Sinkeldam made a fine catch of a liner to her left in the top of the seventh, as LJHS played confident defense and limited its miscues to one error.
Ferenczy's homer went in a high arc to left field, where the ball bounced on the dirt and weeds just beyond the low brick wall in left-center. She led off the bottom of the third with the blast.
No comments:
Post a Comment