Marina’s New Order Beats Barons

Marina rearranged its batting order at just the right time and defeated third-ranked Fountain Valley, 2-1, in a Sunset League softball game Tuesday at Marina.

In the second inning, the No. 7 hitter, Steffany Stenglein, inadvertently hit in the sixth spot.

Stenglein singled and when Marina’s next hitter, Heather Saltarelli, who was supposed to hit sixth, grounded into a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning, Fountain Valley Coach Cary Baker came out to protest.

Marina (16-9, 5-2) admitted the error, but the umpire ruled that Baker waited too long to argue the infraction. If Baker had come out before Saltarelli’s at-bat, then Saltarelli would have been called out and Stenglein would have returned to the plate.

Instead, the Vikings scored both runs on a single by Devin Sailor and three consecutive walks by Fountain Valley starter Colleen Burdick (12-3).

“Once the seventh hitter [Stenglein] got a hit and got on, [Baker] would have to have brought it to my attention right then,” umpire Wally Divino said. “Once there was a pitch to the No. 6 batter [Saltarelli], who was out of order, everything done to the No. 7 batter was legalized.”

Baker, who is in his 17th season at Fountain Valley, said at the time he understood that the rule allowed until the third out of the inning to address the infraction.

“At one point, the rule seems to be contradictory,” Baker said. “I was too busy watching the game to really get into reading it.”

Fountain Valley (18-7, 6-1) cut the lead to one on Jenny Doezie’s RBI single in the third, and was in good position to tie the score when Burdick’s infield single put runners on first and third with one out in the fifth.

But Bree Boyer, who started the inning in relief of winning pitcher Brooke Crouch (7-2), got Doezie to hit into an inning-ending double play.