Fullerton continues on a roll, as they win in a dramatic series opener over Santa Ana 1-0 on Tuesday. The Hornets have won their last three games by one run. Last week, they held off a late comeback against Mt. San Antonio. In the seventh inning, the Mounties scored three runs to cut the deficit to one. Starting pitcher Emma Gamez shut them down, recording the last two outs for an 8-7 victory.
The next day, the Hornets were down to their last out of the game against Antelope Valley before rallying back and scoring two runs to walk it off. Santa Ana was looking to play spoiler, as they have done during conference play. The Dons were looking to pull off some seventh-inning magic of their own to take home the opening game of a three-game series.
Gamez threw six solid innings of shutout ball at the time, with the Hornets leading 1-0. Santa Ana would not go away. Designated player Nevaeh Gomez on a 1-2 count roped a fastball down the middle of the plate for a leadoff double. Gamez showed some nerves in the circle after giving up that hit.
Her teammates on the infield were there to encourage her, as first baseman Toafa Pua and shortstop Carlie Danovich assured Gamez that she was fine.
“The coaches in the dugout were more nervous than the players,” said Mendoza. “The players were calm when they were on the field.”
Aryanna Ponce came in to pinch-run for Gomez at second. Next up to bat was shortstop Grace Barrios, who put down a sacrifice bunt over to third baseman Alexandria Valdez for the first out. Ponce advanced to third on the play.
On a 1-2 count, Gamez made a quality pitch that turned the whole inning around. Dons’ third baseman Kalani Gonzales grounded a change-up back to Gamez. Pinch-runner Ponce looked to score the first run of the game for the Dons. Gamez chased Ponce back to third, leading to a pickle.
Gamez threw over to Valdez at third, as Ponce headed toward home. Valdez made a perfect throw to Hornets’ catcher Faith Krueger to cut down Ponce at home plate. After the play was over, Santa Ana Head Coach Marissa Ross came out to argue the call.
Ross believed that Krueger obstructed the runner, not giving Ponce a path to score on the play. Especially when Krueger did not have the ball at the time, but the plate umpire did not see any obstruction. Ross believed Ponce was forced to run into Krueger, who tagged her out on the bill of the helmet. The Santa Ana fans were disgusted with the call as well, saying Krueger obstructed the runner.
Gonzales advanced to second on the play and recorded the last out from right fielder Heneli Urena on a groundout to third for her second complete game shutout of the year. Fullerton won another nail-biter in the late innings.
“Once you get to those later innings, you just get that fight in you and that grit to really want to win, work for your team and your coaches and put your all into the game,” said Gamez.
Both offenses struggled to score runs, as it was a pitcher-dominant game. Fullerton was able to break through in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Right fielder Madison Beohm started off the inning as she smoked a single into left field between third and short.
Center fielder Dakoda Hilvers placed a perfect bunt down the first base line on the first pitch. Dons’ catcher Nayelli De Jesus and pitcher Ihilani Berard let the ball roll, hoping it would go foul–instead, the ball stayed fair, putting two runners on.
The Hornets’ bench was fired up, especially Co-Head Coach Crystal Aguirre, after she high-fived Hilvers at first base. The fans got loud, knowing this was an opportunity to capitalize. After a timeout was called by the Dons, the coaches and players for the Hornets gathered together to strategize what to do during the next at-bat. Camryn Zodrow came in to pinch-run for Beohm at second.
Fullerton decided to have Zoey Bautista bunt the runners over to second and third. Bautista was successful as she placed the ball to the right side of the infield. Berard tagged out Bautista, running down the line at first.
Mendoza pinch-hit for Carlie Danovich as Lily Rice stepped into the batter’s box with one out. Rice got ahead of the count 3-1, then fouled two pitches off to the right. The next pitch, Rice grounded a ball over to second baseman Moon Higareda, who recorded the out, and Zodrow scored on the play.
“We’re trying to get anything down, anything through. My goal is to hit it on the right side; hitting it on the left side gives us less of a chance to get that runner safe,” said Rice. “ I was there to do a job, and I was able to do it.”
Rice pumped her fist, knowing she got the job done. She, her teammates, and coaches joined for a team high-five.
The Dons had an opportunity early in the game to score first in the third inning. Berard ripped a ball into center field. Hilvers was shading Berard toward right-center, as she tried to recover and make a diving catch. Hilvers was unable to get a glove on it, as the ball went off the wall for a one-out triple. Gamez looked over at Hilvers, hoping she would make the play, and she got out of the jam with a fly out to shallow left from Delaney Watkins.
During a 1-1 count, Hornets catcher Faith Krueger made a crucial block at the plate to save a run. Gamez tried to throw a screwball, and Krueger kept the ball from bouncing to the backstop as it ricocheted to her left, keeping Berard at third base. Two pitches later, De Jesus flew out to Hilvers at center field.
“I liked [Gamez] mixing the off-speed and coming to some of these hitters and going at them,” said Mendoza.
Besides the mistake made at center field in the third inning, the defense was stellar behind Gamez. In the fourth inning, Gonzales smoked a liner to the right side of the infield. Bautista was able to time her leap perfectly to make an incredible catch to end the inning. Pua picked up Bautista in the air while hugging her. Gamez pumped her fist and went over to high-five Bautista.
In the sixth inning, Berard torched a ball into right-center field. It seemed the ball was going to fall in for a double, but Alana Eisel, who came in for Beohm, was able to chase down the fly ball and make the catch. Gamez showed a sigh of relief when Eisel caught it.
“Very proud of our defense. I’m pretty excited about those catches. We’ve been working really hard on our defense,” said Mendoza.
