Red Bluff Lady Spartans: Freshmen magic
By Rich Greene |
PUBLISHED: April 6, 2011 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: May 16, 2018 at 10:05 a.m.
Paradise 5 11 1
Red Bluff 6 16 3
Of all the firepower in the Lady Spartans' batting order, the biggest blast, Tuesday, came off the bat of a freshman hitting in the 9-hole.
Down to their last out and trailing by two runs, Tayler Zazueta's two-run homer gave Red Bluff a second chance the Lady Spartans wouldn't waste in a 6-5 extra inning win over league foe Paradise.
"That felt amazing," Zazueta said of her game-tying home run. "It didn't feel like it was going to come off like that."
But the ball sure did and a Spartans team that had trailed 5-2 in the early going found themselves with momentum when it mattered the most.
In the extra inning, Red Bluff's usual clockwork offense went to work to get the game-winner.
Emily McEnaney singled.
Brittney Fletcher sacrificed her over.
Morgan Weaver drove her in.
Red Bluff improved to 10-2 overall and 4-0 in the Eastern Athletic League – South with the win, which was Paradise's first league defeat.
It sure looked like Paradise was going to stay undefeated hours earlier.
Paradise put three runs on the board in the first inning and two more in the third, taking advantage of an uncharacteristic three Red Bluff errors.
But what worried Red Bluff coach J Howell wasn't his team's defense – he said it was their hitting with runners in scoring position.
While Red Bluff had cranked out 11 hits through the first six innings, they had left 10 runners on base, including the bases loaded twice.
It would turn out their opponents leaving the bases juiced would be the game's most costly mistake.
The Lady Bobcats opened up the top half of the seventh with three consecutive singles, but couldn't tack on any runs to expand their 5-3 lead.
Bryce Etzler then led off the bottom half of the inning with a single. Two batters and two outs later, Zazueta proved why she was called up to varsity driving a ball over the fence in left center field.
Howell said he brought his freshmen outfielder up slowly so she wouldn't feel as much pressure, but after a great practice on Monday it was time to let her loose.
"Boy, she came through in a big moment," he said.
It took that type of magical moment to upstage McEnaney and Haley Harris, who reached base a combined nine times in 10 plate appearances.
The two combined for Red Bluff's first run after Harris led off the first inning with a double. McEnaney then drilled a ball arching over the left field fence that was brought back into play by the Paradise outfielder, but also dropped in the process allowing Harris to score.
Red Bluff picked up another run in the second inning.
Danisha Slay and Brooke Clatty had back-to-back singles and with two outs Harris drove in Slay.
Trailing 5-2 entering the third inning, Red Bluff once again picked up another run. Megan McColpin and Fletcher drew walks sandwiched around a McEnaney double. With the bases loaded, Weaver popped a ball up in behind the pitcher that landed safely in front of a disorganized Lady Bobcats infield, allowing McColpin to score.
While the Spartans wouldn't get another run out of the inning or in the fourth when they also loaded the bases?- they found a way to tie it before their 21st out.
"It's a tribute to the girls battling through it," Howell said.
Red Bluff hosts Las Plumas at 4 p.m., today.
Rich Greene is the Daily News Sports Editor. He can be reached at sports@redbluffdailynews.com or 527-2151, extension 109.
Rich Greene