Freshman King drives in winning run for Marina softball team

Los Alamitos' Sally Woolpert strikes out as Marina pitcher Tera Blanco strikes out the side in the bottom of the seventh inning in Thursday's Sunset League softball game at Los Alamitos. Marina won, 5-4, in eight innings.
Marina pitcher Tera Blanco, far left, is congratulated after leading her team to a 5-4, extra-inning victory over Los Alamitos in Thursday's Sunset League softball game at Los Alamitos.
Los Alamitos' Tiana Bonde is congratulated by her teammates after scoring a run against Marina in Thursday's Sunset League softball game at Los Alamitos. Marina won, 5-4, in eight innings.
Marina pitcher Tera Blanco delivers a pitch against Los Alamitos during Thursday's Sunset League softball game at Los Alamitos. Marina won, 5-4, in eight innings.
Marina shortstop Sydney McCollum points at Los Alamitos' Nicole Denehy after tagging her out as she attempted to steal second base during Thursday's Sunset League softball game at Los Alamitos. Marina won, 5-4, in eight innings.
Los Alamitos second baseman Allisha Martinez is forced to throw a bit wide in the top of the eighth inning as Marina's Tera Blanco slides into second and breaks up a double play during Thursday's Sunset League softball game at Los Alamitos. Marina won, 5-4, in eight innings.
Los Alamitos pitcher Ryan Denhart delivers a pitch in the bottom of the first inning during Thursday's Sunset League softball game against Marina at Los Alamitos. Marina won, 5-4, in eight innings.

By Kenny Connolly | kconnolly@scng.com | Orange County Register

April 10, 2014 at 10:52 p.m.

Playing in only her second-ever Sunset League softball game, Marina freshman Ryan King proved, despite her youth and inexperience, she’s plenty capable of coming up big in the clutch.

With two outs and a runner on second base in the eighth inning, the Vikings youngster drove in the go-ahead run on a single to center field, which lifted No.4 Marina to a gutsy 5-4 win over No.6 Los Alamitos at Los Alamitos High on Thursday afternoon.

“She’s got all the potential in the world,” Marina coach Shelly Luth said of King. “It’s probably better she was up rather than someone who has the experience of playing Los Al and knowing how difficult that situation is. She was just going to find that pitch and hit it.”

The Vikings (15-5, 1-1) snapped their four-game losing streak and avoided starting league play 0-2.

Los Alamitos (13-9, 0-2) on the other hand, finds itself in the midst of a three-game losing skid, in which it has lost every game by one run.

Marina had to rally for three runs in the fifth inning to tie the score, 4-4. Vikings second baseman Keala Cordeiro tied it with a two-run single to center in the fifth, and she next came up in the eighth, leading the extra inning off with a single, and eventually scoring the go-ahaed run.

After giving up four runs in the first three innings, Vikings pitcher Tera Blanco retired 17 of the last 19 batters to earn the victory.

In the Century League:

No.10 Canyon 8, El Dorado 1: Amy Eilefson’s grand slam in the first inning proved to be all the insurance Hailey Hilburn needed in the Comanches’ home victory. Eilefson added an RBI double in the third inning to finish with five RBI.

No.2 Esperanza 10, Foothill 0: Gabby De La Rosa went 3 for 3 and drove in five runs to lead the Aztecs to a blowout victory over the Knights. De La Rosa’s two-run home run in the sixth highlighted an eight-run inning which broke open a 2-0 game. Hayley Copeland struck out 10 and scattered two hits to earn her 16th win.

In the Garden Grove League:

Garden Grove 10, La Quinta 0: Jenavee Peres belted her ninth home run to lead a balanced Argonauts onslaught. Ten players recorded hits in the winning effort as Garden Grove improved to 2-0 in league. The Argonauts have outscored their opponents, 28-0, in the process.

Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com