By Tony Solorzano
(Covina, CA) – Sophomore pitcher Sydney La Follette not only threw a complete game Tuesday in South Hills’ 3-1 victory over La Canada but also drove home the tying and winning runs en route to a berth in the CIF Southern Section Division 5 playoffs Tuesday at South Hills High.
It was a day of strange plays and stalled rallies for both teams. The Huskies (23-7-1) fell behind 1-0 after the top of the first on a bizarre play that allowed the Spartans (25-4-0) to take the lead and rattle La Follette early. With two out, catcher Catherine Horner reached on a single then stole second while right fielder Megan Martin was at bat.
Martin reached on an infield single, putting runners on first and second with center fielder Selena Mohr batting. After La Follett took the count to one ball and one strike, La Canada put on the double steal, and the throw by South Hills’ catcher Brittney Rodriguez hit Martin in the back, which should have been called an out for interference, however, the umpires ruled the interference was unintentional and in the confusion, Horner came home and scored.
South Hills Head Coach Scott Frisch was not exactly pleased at the result of the play.
“That didn’t affect the kids, it affected me,” He said after the game. “You have three quality umpires, at least explain it to me and nobody could explain it to me.”
Despite the early lead, La Canada’s two-pitcher tandem of Lauren O’Leary and Lauren Cox weren’t the insurmountable battery they had been during the season. In the fifth, the Huskies started to rally on Cox, who had come in after O’Leary had pitched four scoreless innings.
Right away, La Follette reached on a walk then reached second on a stolen base. Courtesy runner Candace Cisneros stepped in for La Follette, and scored on first baseman Taylor Fisch’s bunt single, which was overthrown by Cox, tying the game. Abry Moreno also bunted down third but Cox and third baseman Aubri Thompson collided with each other, allowing her to reach base, putting runners on first and second with no outs.
O’Leary returned to the mound and immediately struck out Sam Nieves for the first out. Then Tiffany Rivas ended the inning on another bizarre play. Her pop up was seemingly caught by Megan Siepler, however, it appeared that the ball had bounced in the webbing of her glove as she closed around it, and ended up doubling up Fisch on second.
Like the incident in the first inning, there was a delay in the inning ending as La Canada tossed the ball to first to tag the bag as a precaution, although Rivas has already conceded the out.
In the bottom of the sixth, both Rodriguez and Lexi Robles reached base. With two outs in the inning, La Follette came up and slugged a double to deep left field, clearing the bases and giving the Huskies the 3-1 lead which they would seal in the next inning.
La Follette went the distance, scattering five hits in seven innings of work, striking out four batters and walking one. O’Leary pitched six innings, giving up two runs on three hits, all in the sixth inning, while striking out 11. Cox faced three batters in the bottom of the fifth, allowing two hits and giving up one unearned run, La Follette’s score on her throwing error to first on Fisch’s bunt.
Corey Kwok contributed to this story
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