Softball: Norco wasn’t its normal self in loss to Santiago

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Rick Robinson had a tough time believing his eyes. Norco, ranked No. 2 by The Times and No. 6 in the state by CalHiSports.com, was remarkably un-Cougarlike in its 8-3 loss Thursday to Mountain View League rival Corona Santiago, the Southland’s No. 1 team and the state’s No. 2.

‘If you had told me we would score three runs with Teagan Gerhart pitching, I would have expected to win,’ Robinson said. ‘Teagan didn’t pitch her best game and Santiago made us pay for every mistake we made. Teagan got hit hard in that first inning and then we were playing not to lose.’

Robinson said that Gerhart (19-5) didn’t waste enough pitches against the dialed-in Santiago lineup, nor did she change speeds like she usually does.

Gerhart had only two strikeouts and gave up 10 hits in four innings against a fired-up Santiago squad. Santiago was playing for the first time since it was shut out, 1-0, by Corona Centennial pitcher Katie Gray on Tuesday. Last week, Norco beat Centennial, 7-0.

‘We knew they were going to come out hot, or they would be tentative,’ Robinson said of Santiago.

The former was correct.

-- Martin Henderson

-- Image from www.cnusd.k12.ca.us