Quartz Hill, Salazar Low-Ball Highland, 1-0

Olaya Salazar’s run-scoring single in the eighth inning lifted Quartz Hill High to its sixth consecutive victory over Highland, 1-0, in a Golden League game Thursday at Quartz Hill.

Cox singled to start the rally. After Nicole Rawson (8-6) recorded a strikeout for the second out, Jamie Booth walked to advance Cox to second and set up Salazar’s hit.

“I just tried to take it like any other at-bat,” Salazar said. “I know if I’m nervous, I’m going to pop up or ground out. So I was actually pretty calm.

“I got a pitch that looked good and I swung at it.”

Right fielder Sandy Delestre threw wide to catcher Ashlie D’errico and Cox scored the run that moved the Rebels (12-5, 3-0 in league play) into first place.

“I was determined that if the ball was hit, I was going to score,” Cox said.

Rawson pitched a six-hitter with five strikeouts and two walks. But she was matched pitch-for-pitch by Amanda Ricker (11-3) of Quartz Hill, who allowed seven hits and three walks while striking out six.

“She pitches as good as she needs to,” Cox said of Ricker. “She needed to pitch her best and she did. She pitched an awesome game--the best I’ve ever seen her pitch.”

Natalie Rawson had three hits and Angie D’errico had two but Highland (9-6, 2-1) stranded nine runners and left the bases loaded in the third inning.

Three times the Bulldogs left a runner on third.

“We couldn’t come up with the timely hit when we needed it,” Coach Glenda Potts of Highland said. “I thought it would be a much higher-scoring game and it would’ve been if our offense had shown up. It’s frustrating because we’ve lost our last six times to them--all by two runs or less.

“Nicole pitched a great game and deserved to win.”

Quartz Hill nearly ended the game an inning earlier. Sara Moore reached base on a fielder’s choice and Jennifer Curtier singled with one out but Moore was tagged out at third base.

Ricker followed with a single before pinch-hitter Amber Hillblom grounded out to extend force extra innings.