One inning enough for Burbank-Jewel City 9-11 softball
TUJUNGA — It took only an inning for the Burbank-Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans 9-11 softball team to virtually punch its ticket into the championship game of the Section 2 Tournament.
Visiting District 16 representative Burbank-Jewel City scored 11 runs in the top of the first inning and rolled to a 19-0 four-inning victory over District 51 champion Rosamond on Saturday morning at Tujunga Little League Ballfields.
With the triumph, Burbank-Jewel City moves into the Section 2 title contest Monday at 5:15 p.m. back at Tujunga Little League versus Rosamond or District 17 champion San Marino. Rosamond and San Marino will face off Sunday in elimination action.
Should Burbank-Jewel City drop Monday’s contest, then it would move into a winner-take-all finale Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. The Section 2 champion earns advancement to the 9-11 State Division Tournament, which begins Saturday at Victorville’s Liberty Park.
“We worked [with] the girls [on] hitting and we expected them to come out and execute,” Burbank-Jewel City coach Eddie Aceves said. “You never expect this, but when it comes, it’s a nice thing. We hit the ball well today and it’s nice to get a big lead early.”
Burbank-Jewel City, playing in its first game of the three-team tournament, sent 15 hitters to the plate in the first inning.
While Rosamond aided the cause with six walks and two errors, Burbank-Jewel City connected on six hits, five of the extra-base variety.
Second baseman Mackenzie Meinsenbach finished three for four with three triples, six runs batted in and three runs scored, and connected on two run-scoring triples alone in the first inning. Starting pitcher Natalie Ascencio added a scoring triple and Melody Starr Contreras and Deanna Aceves contributed run-scoring doubles.
Burbank-Jewel City tallied at least one run in each inning.
Meinsenbach continued her torrid hitting with a two-run triple in the second that plated Julia Grounds and Phoebe Spangler, while Grounds drove home Aceves, who tripled, in the third inning for a run.
Up 15-0, Burbank-Jewel City finished its offensive showcase with four runs in the fourth aided by a two-run single from Sophia Squillacote.
As for Burbank-Jewel City pitching, Rosamond had a runner reach third base in the second and third innings, but was held at bay by Ascencio and reliever Contreras, who pitched the third and fourth innings.
“When you get that kind of a lead, it can be challenging to keep the focus,” Aceves said. “I was happy with the way our defense played and the pitching didn’t let down.”
Rosamond finished with one hit, which came when the game’s final batter — Melody Herrera — singled with two outs, but saw teammate Kaylei Victoria thrown out going from first to third to end the contest.
Saturday’s action was the first in a while for the players on the Burbank-Jewel City squad, which merged after the Tri-Cities District 16 Little League All-Star Tournament was canceled due to low numbers for a second straight season.
