Sonora’s Extra-Inning Victory Knocks Troy Out of Title Race

The parity in the Freeway League is strong this season, and perhaps no teams are more evenly matched than Sonora and Troy.

For the eighth time in their last 10 games, they played a one-run game. For the third time in a row, they played at least 10 innings.

Sonora, which had only one batter over the minimum through nine innings, got a run in the 10th to defeat Troy, 1-0, to remain tied for first place in the Freeway League with La Habra.

It was the last chance for Troy (15-9, 3-4) to remain in the title hunt, and it disappeared with Stephanie Santana’s grounder to the second base hole.

“I overran the ball,” said Elaine Kennedy, Troy’s junior second baseman whose foot gave way as she tried to make the play. “It was the late innings, I was too jumpy, I just overran the ball.”

Through nine innings, a sixth-inning bunt by Cacie Goetz--ruled safe at first--was the only hit for Sonora (19-6, 5-2) against Lindsey Knoff (15-7).

Lillian Hewko led off the 10th with a clean single. Called out on a pickoff throw by catcher Shannon Hodges, who has 13 this season, Hewko was ruled safe on an appeal.

Andee Lindgren walked, and Carrie Wisen singled to load the bases. Santana, a pinch-hitter, then fought off a two-out, two-strike pitch toward the second-base hole.

“It’s disheartening,” Hodges said of the loss and the league’s parity. “It gets difficult. People ask me at school, ‘Is today a big game?’ Every game is a big game.”

Hodges nearly tied the score with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, driving the ball within five feet of the 200-foot fence.

“They moved the fence back 20 feet this year,” Hodges said. “I honestly thought it was out.”

Instead of a homer, it was a ground-rule double.

Andee Lindgren (9-3), who gave up four hits, got Kennedy on a grounder to end the game.

Knoff gave up three hits.

In other league games:

La Habra 4, Fullerton 0--Cassie Preece (6-5) gave up only three hits, and Elaine Elsesser had three hits and scored a run for La Habra (12-12, 5-2).

Sunny Hills 2, Buena Park 1--Stacee Monaco had two hits and drove in the winning run in a two-run sixth inning for Sunny Hills (13-9, 4-3). Shannon Deutschman (9-4) gave up three hits for Sunny Hills.