Big bats stave off upset for La Cañada softball
MONROVIA — From blowout to slugfest, the narrative changed for the La Cañada High softball team, but not the result as the visiting Spartans held on for a 14-12 victory over Monrovia in Rio Hondo League play Friday afternoon.
The triumph was the 28th straight in league for the CIF Southern Section Division V second-ranked Spartans, who improved to 14-3-1 and 8-0 in league. The victory also allowed the Spartans to exhale after holding on to win a game they once led, 11-3.
“Monrovia swings the bat real well and I told the girls after Tuesday’s [8-1 victory over the Wildcats] that they could beat us,” said La Cañada coach Chuck Gunter, who improved his impressive league record to 39-1. “My girls might have come up a little like, ‘We got this’ and they kind of let up a little, but give credit to Monrovia. They were hitting the ball where we weren’t.”
Several La Cañada players turned in monster efforts in a 19-hit contest.
Leadoff batter Alexis Abboud finished four for four with three doubles, four runs and one run batted in, while third baseman Kathleen Knudsen was three for five with a home run, two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored. Taryn Harris contributed three RBI, two runs and two stolen bases for the Spartans, Maddy Reilly scored two runs and added one RBI, Ella Polito knocked in two and scored one run and Devyn Cox smacked a double and added two runs.
Jasmine Flores and Samantha Diaz, the Wildcats’ top two hitters in the lineup, each scored three runs for Monrovia (7-7-1, 3-5), while No. 3 batter Alexis Barroso finished with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
La Cañada scored in six of seven innings with the game-winning hit a two-run blast over the left-field fence by Knudsen as the Spartans took a 14-10 lead in the top of the seventh.
“I knew the pitcher was throwing outside, so I crowded the plate,” Knudsen said. “My toes were right on the line and I saw that she was pitching outside so I hit it as hard as I could and saw it go over the fence.”
La Cañada’s three insurance runs in the top of the seventh were needed as Monrovia plated two runs when Diaz drove in Flores with a double and then scored on a throwing error to bring the Wildcats within 14-12.
Despite a rocky outing, Spartans pitcher Holly Stoner recovered to record the game’s final two outs to preserve a 14-12 win.
“Honestly, we know Monrovia is good and they have good hitters and good swings,” Abboud said. “They got hits on balls that were hard to make plays on.”
La Cañada scored three runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run double by Harris. The Spartans added single runs in the second and third innings thanks to doubles from Abboud and Cox.
Monrovia stayed close with two runs in the first and one in the third to trail, 5-3, after three innings.
It looked like La Cañada iced the game with a five-run fourth that included run-scoring doubles from Reilly and Knudsen as the Spartans led, 10-3, after four and, 11-3, heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Monrovia countered with four runs in the fifth, with a big two-run single from Lyna Guerrero, and three runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run double from Barroso, to suddenly close within 11-10 heading to the seventh.
“We worked really hard on our hitting after our loss to La Cañada on Tuesday,” Monrovia coach Marcel Mayorga said. “We kind of focused on being a little more disciplined at the plate this time. We knew that [Stoner] is a great pitcher, but she follows certain patterns and my team was ready for that. I’m proud of them.”
Twitter: @campadresports
