By Josh Lowden
(Temple City) – La Canada battled back from a 1-0 deficit enroute to a 4-2 victory over Temple City in a Rio Hondo League game on Wednesday.
“Anytime you come out of Temple City with a win,” said La Canada coach KC Matthews, “it’s a good day.”
A three-run fifth inning became the undoing of the Rams.
Spartans leadoff hitter Anna Edwards hit a home run to right field. Megan Siepler singled to left to continue the inning. Shirley Drange and Stephanie Bathke hit back-to-back doubles. Siepler and Drange scored on Bathke’s hit.
“Anna Edwards is a great player,” said Rams Coach Bob Ellingsworth. “She had that homerun and I saw us drop a little bit there and gave up two more runs.”
In the second inning, Temple City’s Jessica Loicano scored from second on a single from Ciara Schnyder. The Ram run broke a 36 inning scoreless streak for La Canada’s pitching staff.
With two runners on in the third inning the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs. La Canada could only muster a run off of Jenny Pegg on a Catherine Horner sacrifice fly to tie the game at one. Pegg struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
Lauren O’Leary’s dominance of the Rio Hondo continued with eight strike outs while allowing no unearned runs.
“She’s been phenomenal since her freshman year,” Matthews said of O’Leary. “That’s why she is going to pitch at the next level.”
With the win, La Canada improves to 4-0 in league and will face a Michelle Floyd led San Marino team Friday night in a highly anticipated showdown.
“(Michelle Floyd) is very talented,” said Matthews. “We’re going to have to do a better job putting the bat on the ball and not watch pitches go by if we want to compete with her.”
The game will be La Canada’s second annual La Canada Spartans Strike Out Cancer game. The game has a 7 pm start time.
There will be an opportunity to donate during the game.
The Spartans will be wearing pink and white and the Titans will wear the reverse colors.
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