FIRE AWAY: Beckman pitcher Jasmin Harrel tries to fire a pitch past an El Dorado batter. Beckman scored in the seventh to win the game, 1-0. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER |
Hard fall for Kennedy, the nation's top-ranked softball team
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The Fighting Irish lose to Ayala, 4-3, in 10 innings at the Nike Faster to First Classic.
The first Nike Faster to First Classic assembled one of the most impressive fields of softball teams in the nation, and Thursday's first-round games at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex featured plenty of action and upsets.
Two unranked teams that were last-minute entries into the tournament, which features 14 teams ranked in StudentSports.com's preseason Fab 50 national poll, pulled off upsets on Day One.
It looked like Long Beach Wilson's 8-3 shocker over No. 28 Pacifica would be the biggest upset of the day.
But later on Ayala of Chino Hills handed Kennedy, the top-ranked team in the nation, a 4-3 loss in 10 innings.
Neither team scored until the game went to extra innings and the international tiebreaker rule, which puts a runner on second base to start the inning, went into effect in the top of the eighth inning.
Lindsay Morgan's RBI single in the top of the eighth gave the Fighting Irish a 1-0 lead. Ayala came back in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double from Stephanie Martinez.
Jamia Reid delivered an RBI single in the top of the ninth and scored on Kimberly Frazier's RBI double as Kennedy took a 3-1 lead.
Nalani St. Germain erased that deficit in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run shot that cleared the right-field fence by at least 25 feet.
In the top of the 10th, Kennedy started with a runner at third base because of the tiebreaker rules but was unable to score. In the bottom of the 10th, Ayala also started with a runner at third. Christine Stubblefield hit a grounder to the right side of the infield. Kennedy's second baseman made the play and threw to first rather than home.
In other Nike Faster to First Classic games:
No. 6 El Modena, 11, Rancho of Las Vegas 0: Emily McEwen went 3 for 3 with a two-run homer, Allison Taylor had a solo homer and freshman Haylie Wagner went 3 for 3 with two doubles to lead the Vanguards (4-3-1).
No. 3 El Toro 6, Vista Murrieta 0: Carly Land pitched a one-hitter and freshman Lauren Chamberlain drove in three runs to lead the Chargers
(6-2-1).
No. 9 Canyon 3, Camarillo 2: Freshman Cheyanne Tarango pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts and drove in two runs with a double as the Comanches (5-1) beat the Scorpions (1-4).
In the Saddleback Valley Tournament:
No. 10 Marina 5, San Clemente 4: Kellie Cuadras drove in two runs and pitched the final four innings to help the Vikings (8-1) defeat the Tritons (4-5) in the championship game at Alicia Park.
In nonleague games:
Esperanza 13, No. 7 Mater Dei 1: Jackie Munoz had a triple, homer and seven RBIs and Kelsea Roth went 4 for 4 to lead a 15-hit attack for the Aztecs (5-2-1) in a victory over the Monarchs (8-2) at Thornton Park.
No. 8 Beckman 1, El Dorado 0: Jasmin Harrell pitched a two-hitter and Katie Heldreth drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the seventh to lead the Patriots (7-2) over the visiting Golden Hawks (1-3).
Contact the writer: carias@ocregister.com
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