Bats dominate O.C. Coaches All-Star Games

IRVINE - No lead is ever safe, especially in an all-star game.

The Comets, who featured players from the Century, Pacifica Coast and Orange Coast leagues, and the Peaches, who featured players from the Sea View, South Coast and Orange leagues, combined for 25 hits and 25 runs.

The Comets held on for a 13-12 victory over the Peaches in a wild slugfest at the 13th O.C. Coaches All-Star Games on Tuesday night at Barber Park.

It wasn't over until Beckman outfielder Lauren Bennett made a running catch down the left-field line in foul territory for the final out.

The Peaches scored three runs in the bottom of the first, but the Comets answered with a two-run homer from Canyon's  Lauren Young and a two-run triple from Woodbridge's Kayla Clausen to take a 4-3 lead.

The Comets picked up an unearned run in the top of the third when Irvine's Bria Madrid scored from third on a wild pitch to make it 5-3.

El Toro's Shelby Jones and Hailey Fullerton picked up RBI singles to help the Peaches tie the Comets, 5-5, in the bottom of the fourth.

At that point, the slugfest was officially on.

The Peaches rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 11-10 lead on the Comets. Capistrano Valley's Courtney Slye got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run, El Toro's Emily Haslinger had a two run single and Tesoro's Lexi Hope and Capo Valley's Jessica Blanda added RBI singles to lead the Peaches.

The Comets responded with three runs in the top of the seventh and held on for the victory. Woodbridge's Danica Bishop retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to seal the victory.

The All-Star teams for the O.C. Coaches games are named after the original four teams from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was founded in 1943.

The Blue Sox, who featured players from the Freeway, Golden West and Sunset leagues, rolled to a 15-2 victory over the Belles, who featured players from the Empire and Trinity leagues.

The Belles took the early lead on Caitie Barber of Rosary's two-run single in the top of the second.

It was a short-lived lead because the Blue Sox came back with three runs in the bottom of the second on a solo homer by Madison Hickman of Edison, a sacrifice fly by Fountain Valley's Brenda Bott and an unearned run.

The Blue Sox blew the game open with a six-run rally in the bottom of the fourth.

Fullerton's Monique Martinez, Bott, Edison's Case Africano and La Habra's Maleena Esparza had RBI singles and Fullerton's Kendall Shea capped the rally with a two-run single.

Edison's Jessica Plaza had a two-run blast in the fifth and Segerstrom's Marleen Rodriguez added a solo shot in the eighth for the Blue Sox.

Orange Lutheran's Madison Osias hit four home runs in six pitches in the finals to claim the O.C. Coaches All-Star Home Run Derby contest.

Contact the writer: carias@ocregister.com