Hoover tripped up by Arcadia
NORTHWEST GLENDALE — Two innings of miscues added up to six innings of bad news for Coach Rich Henning’s Hoover High softball team.
Henning and the Tornadoes fell on hard times in the field and at the plate Thursday afternoon to the tune of a 13-2 Pacific League loss against visiting Arcadia. The game was called after six innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
“We couldn’t rebound from the first two innings,” Henning said after two first-inning errors helped give the Apaches a 2-0 lead before they batted around in the second to extend the lead to 5-0. “We couldn’t recoup and it’s going to be about repetition and working harder.
“I might have to make some lineup changes. It’s not out of the question.”
For the moment, Henning would settle for the Tornadoes (2-7, 1-3 in league) stringing together some closer results in league. Hoover has lost three league games by 10-or-more runs and it’s lone league win was an 11-9 victory against Pasadena on Tuesday.
Arcadia (5-5, 3-1) capitalized and pounced on Hoover immediately. Arcadia’s first two batters reached base on errors, the second leading to a 1-0 lead before Kenzie Grimes had a run-scoring double to make it 2-0. Yeram Park drove in a run with a single to make it 3-0 and Blaire Barchan drove in a pair with a single to up the lead to 5-0.
“It’s been our problem since we opened league,” Henning said. “We have that one bad inning and it just takes us right out of the game.”
After the Apaches extended their lead to 8-0 in the fourth, Hoover responded with a pair of runs in its half of the inning.
With one out, Hoover’s Natalie Barcena hit a two-run double to bring in Kaitlyn Williams and Teresa Martinez to trim the deficit to 8-2. Williams and Martinez had each singled.
Hoover finished with seven hits, including two from Martinez, but Henning would like more consistency at the plate
“Our hitting has been sporadic and I’d like to see some more involvement in the hitting,” Henning said. “For whatever reason, we just can’t put a solid game together.
“I hope it’s not too late.”
Kenya Buckley, Williams, Jessica Rivera, Barcena and Briana Manzanero each had one hit for the Tornadoes.
