Jenny Pegg was masterful picking up the win.
(Monrovia) – In one swing of the bat, Jessica Loiacano helped Temple City clinch a spot in the CIF Division 5 playoffs with a 6-1 win over Monrovia.
The Lady Cats faced a must-win situation heading into the final week of the season to advance to postseason play but the Rams made sure that didn’t happen quickly in the first inning.
Its the fourth straight season Monrovia has missed the playoffs.
With one out, Kristin Hudak singled and Sami Jakeway reached on a fielder’s choice to give Temple City runners on first and second. Up stepped Loiacano who crushed a two-one offering over the left field fence.
Saddled with a quick 3-0 lead Jenny Pegg did the rest. Pegg flirted with a no-hitter through two and two-thirds innings and took a shutout all the way into the seventh before allowing one run. Pegg finished the game with a two-hitter.
Temple City added insurance runs in the fifth inning. After a walk to Alex Quinones, Megan Pultz reached on an error that allowed Quinones to score from first. Pultz ended up on third. Jasmine Lewis brought Pultz in from third on a sharp hit to center that normally would be a single if not for the quick thinking of Elise McCarthy who threw Lewis out at first for the second out of the inning.
McCarthy’s defensive prowess saved two hits from occurring with strong throws from centerfield to gun the runners at first.
Jakeway close the scoring out for the Rams with a blast to left.
Monrovia managed a run in its bottom half of the seventh after Loiacano’s attempt to gun Shellee Parker went wide of first. Adrienne Guerra’s ground out to second allowed Parker to score from third.
Emmy Orozco took the loss for the Lady Cats after giving up six runs on seven hits.
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