It’s not that La Habra senior Taylor Pierce is unfamiliar with life in the circle. She just hasn’t consistently had the opportunity to showcase her abilities during her first three years with the Highlanders.
Pitching behind Vanessa Ciocatto and Kayla Klein, Pierce’s primary role has been in relief or as a spot starter.
With Ciocatto and Klein having graduated, Pierce showed Tuesday that she’s adjusting just fine to her new role as the Highlanders’ top starter. The senior right-hander tossed a four-hit shutout and added two hits of her own to lead La Habra past Fullerton, 11-0, in the Freeway League opener at Fullerton.
“It’s her time now,” said Highlanders coach Frank McCarroll. “She’s been sitting behind Vanessa the last couple years and before that, Kayla Klein. Those are two Division I pitchers. Now it’s her turn. We’ve kind of challenged her to step up and take the lead.”
Pierce and her teammates scored four runs in the top half of the first inning.
Pierce, first baseman Amanda Akles, and catcher Nikki Butler each singled in their first at-bats to kick off the Highlanders’ rally.
La Habra (12-7, 1-0) doubled its lead, making it 8-0, in the the fourth, as the top of the lineup again caused headaches for Fullerton (9-10, 0-1).
The Highlanders tallied 12 hits. Akles, Butler and Pierce each had two or more hits, and all three contributed in the Highlanders’ pair of four-run innings.
“You got to play catch, you got to pitch, and you got to hit,” McCarroll added. “Right now we can play catch. Our pitching is coming around. And if we hit the ball, then yeah, we’re a pretty good team.”
La Habra will travel to Sunny Hills on Thursday afternoon. Both schools went 9-1 in the Freeway League a season ago, as their only losses came to one another.
“We’re going to come out, play with heart, do our best, and try and get that win,” Pierce said.
In the Century League:
No. 2 Esperanza 1, Villa Park 0: Hayley Copeland struck out 13 and surrendered one hit as the Aztecs squeaked past the Spartans. Mackenzie Graham knocked in the only run in the fourth inning, scoring Emily Sklencar.
In the Orange League:
Katella 18, Santa Ana Valley 0: Whitney Mesi tossed a no-hitter and struck out 10 in a game stopped after five innings. The Knights’ collected 16 hits.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
