Be selective. Be smart.
It’s the simple approach Canyon coach Jess Carbajal has instilled in his team’s mind each time an individual digs into the batters box.
That patience at the plate was on display Tuesday afternoon as the Comanches drew six walks, sent two hit batsmen to first and cashed those free base runners into an 11-4 triumph over No. 5 Villa Park in a nonleague game at Canyon High.
The Comanches (9-4) notched 11 base hits on the afternoon and stormed out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Rylie Seip’s solo shot to right field and a two-run bloop single from Tori Apodaca.
Seip finished 3-for-4 at the dish and Apodaca went 2-for-3. Cheyenne Cederoth finished 2-for-4, and after being pelted her first two times at the plate, sophomore pitcher Miranda Sotddard went 2-for-2 with an RBI single to center in the fourth and a solo home run to left in the fifth.
“That’s what we’ve been working on, not chasing bad pitches,” Carbajal said of the team’s plate discipline. “Knowing we can get quality at-bats, we’re not going to chase the stuff down and we’re not going to chase the stuff up. We’re going to make them bring it in and we’ll go after that. Their focus on quality at-bats worked out well.”
The Comanches batted around the order as part of a six-run fourth inning that broke open a 4-2 ball game into an eight-run Canyon lead.
Villa Park (10-4) also tallied 11 hits as senior first baseman Jordan Stream led the charge with a 4-for-4 effort.
The Spartans left eight runners on base, including six in scoring position throughout the day.
In the Trinity League:
No. 4 Orange Lutheran 5, No. 8 Santa Margarita 3: Trailing by two runs in the top of the sixth, the Lancers received an RBI single from Ciara Briggs and Kira La Scola’s two-run double moments later put the defending league champs up for good in the league opener. La Scola finished 4-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles. Briggs added an insurance RBI in the seventh on another RBI single. Sophomore pitcher Mia Bagatorian earned the win in the circle for Orange Lutheran (10-2, 1-0).
Rosary 7, JSerra 1: Senior Amelia Wiercioch hit a two-run home run and added a two-run double to finish with four RBI in leading the Royals past the host Lions. Gabby Mercado finished 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI, while Sarah Ellersick and Caroline Dame each added multiple base hits for Rosary (11-4).
In the South Coast League:
No. 2 Mission Viejo 9, Aliso Niguel 1: Diablos senior ace Kyra Snyder retired the first 20 batters she faced before a bloop single with two outs in the seventh ended her no-hit bid. Mission Viejo (8-4, 1-0) scored six runs in the first two innings, highlighted by a pair of Terra McGowan RBI doubles that helped build a commanding lead.
No. 9 Capistrano Valley 6, San Clemente 2: After falling behind by two runs in the fifth, the visiting Cougars (9-3, 1-0) scored the game’s final six runs to open league play with a victory over the Tritons. Capo Valley’s Jaqlyn Newhouser, Ally Taylor and Hayley Hensley each finished with multiple base hits. Delaney Hull earned her ninth win in the circle scattering six hits and one earned run.
In the Sea View League:
Dana Hills 8, Trabuco Hills 2: Senior pitcher Serafine Parrish struck out 10 batters and allowed just three hits in five innings of work, while the Dolphins offense pounded 16 hits to open league play with a decisive win over the Mustangs. Mia Onesto, Meryl Reinhart and Tori Sickmeier all finished with three base hits for Dana Hills (8-9, 1-0). Cozette Zoch was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
In nonleague:
No. 1 Los Alamitos 15, Cypress 4: The Griffins (10-2) racked up 16 hits and scored 14 straight runs from the fourth inning on in powering past the visiting Centurions (7-4). Andrea Gonzalez finished with three hits on the afternoon. Cami Sellers belted a three-run home run in the fifth inning that put the Griffins up, 6-4.
