The Anzar High softball team would prefer to start the Mission
Trail Athletic League season another way.
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA – The Anzar High softball team would prefer to start the Mission Trail Athletic League season another way.
The Hawks caved in defensively as visiting Greenfield sent a plethora of runners home in a large fourth inning to win 14-3 as the contest was called after five innings on Tuesday due to the mercy rule.
Hawks third-year head coach Dennis Waller suggested a fresh pot of coffee.
“This game better be a wake-up call,” said Waller, whose Hawks are now 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the MTAL. “We have to come prepared to play. We gave ourselves a rope to hang ourself. We were too laid back in the dugout before the game.”
For the first three frames, the Hawks were very much in it, trailing just 5-3. The Bruins (2-4, 1-0) sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs on five hits. The Hawks committed six errors.
“Our offense started going just as their defense was at its low point,” said enthusiastic Bruins coach Zandra Galvan, in her fourth year. “In the past, our games with Anzar have been neck-and-neck.”
Both teams ran carte blanche on the basepaths. The Bruins stole nine bases, including a steal of home, while the Hawks pilfered three bases.
Anzar’s Sasha Herrera led off the game with a bunt single, stole second, then was called out for leaving before the pitch was released as she had ideas of taking third. The Hawks put two more baserunners on in that inning, but failed to score.
The Hawks plated an unearned run in the second before putting some things together against Bruins pitcher Crystal Sanchez in the third. Heidi Rivera and Codi Campbell had singles. Caitlin Moran singled off the glove of Bruins shortstop Vanessa Binsacca to score Rivera. A walk to Cory Strasser filled the bases before another bases on balls by Sanchez to Megan Lerma scored Campbell.
Campbell had the biggest blast of the afternoon when she tripled in the right-center field gap in the fourth.
The Hawks are at King City on Friday.
“I heard King City is tough,” said Waller. “Carmel is always the team to beat.”
Hawks shots: Anzar hurler Rachel Waller walked six batters and hit another. However, she had seven strikeouts. -Third baseman Moran made a nice catch of a pop-up in the top of the first.
