Jim RiggioDarkness descended on the Hoover High...

Jim Riggio

Darkness descended on the Hoover High softball field a little earlier

than the Tornadoes would have liked Tuesday, as they hosted Burroughs

in a nonleague doubleheader.

Hoover came within half and inning of sweeping the two games

against the Indians.

Hoover won the opening game, 6-5, in eight innings, as the contest

was decided on an international tie-breaker.

In the second game, the Tornadoes led, 1-0, after four innings.

However, umpires called the game because of darkness, denying Hoover

the sweep.

“We had a bunch of mental lapses in the first game,” Hoover Coach

Kirt Kohlmeier said of his team, which committed three errors. “In

the second game, I thought our defense was excellent.”

Burroughs (7-4) trailed, 4-2, through six innings of the first

game, when it scored three times to take a one-run lead.

Burroughs’ Val Rico hit a two-run triple that scored Margo Flynn

and Ryanne Hodgins.

But Hoover (9-3), which finished with 12 hits, rallied to tie the

game in the seventh. Linda Martinez scored on a single by Michelle

Summers to send the game into extra innings.

Hoover’s Anna Schnitger scored the game-winning run on a Burroughs

error.

“My kids weren’t at their best, and it was obvious,” Burroughs

Coach Jennifer Gomez said. “They came out flat. We’ve been able to

put runs on the board, but unfortunately, they are finding ways to

score runs on us.”