Burbank duo does in Foothill in Little League softball

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — With a quality pitcher tossing strikes and an agile lead-off hitter getting on base with consistency, it’s not hard to determine why the Burbank District 16 9-10 All-Star Team has been successful.

Though Burbank played its fifth game in as many days Monday night, Mia Coomes and Isabella Kam showed no sign of fatigue.

Coomes struck out 10 and Kam collected four hits to help power Burbank to a 15-4 victory against Foothill in the if-necessary championship contest at Scholl Canyon Ball Fields. The game was called after the fifth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.

“They are both very good players,” said Burbank Coach Shaun Broyls, whose team will next compete in the Section 2 Tournament on Thursday in Canyon Country. “When Mia is on, she’s on because she’s got three legitimate pitches.

“With Isabella, she’s the best lead-off hitter in this league. She’s always had the speed, but she’s now been showing off her power.”

Kam collected three singles and a solo home run. She scored four runs and finished with three runs batted in.

Burbank staved off elimination Sunday with a 12-6 win against Foothill. Rejuvenated Burbank didn’t waste any time getting started Monday, as Kam ignited the charge.

Kam led off with a single and scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 1-0. Sidnie Dabbadie drove in a run with a force out to extend the lead to 2-0 before Natalie Hooper had a two-run single to make it 4-0.

Foothill responded with three runs in its half of the first. Gabbie Poli scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 4-1. Amanda Briones followed with a run-scoring triple to make it 4-2 before Ellie Escobar had an infield single that scored Briones to trim the deficit to 4-2.

“I was feeling good after the top of the inning, then I was feeling bad after the inning,” Broyls said. “We were able to get that one bad inning out of the way.”

Kam opened the second with an inside-the-park home run to give Burbank a 5-3 lead.

“I just wanted to hit the ball,” Kam said. “I didn’t know that I would hit a home run.”

Burbank tacked on two more runs in the second on a two-run double by Lillyanna Travieso.

Foothill sliced the lead to 7-4 on a run-scoring single by Alasia Urena in the second.

Coomes settled down and didn’t allow a hit after that. The right-hander struck out the side in the fourth and fifth.

Sabrina Englebrecht had a two-run double in the fourth to make it 9-4. Englebrecht then scored on a ground out by Travieso to extend the lead to 10-4. Kam had a two-run single to begin a five-run fifth.

Foothill Manager Manny Gil said his team showed some resilience battling back in the first.

“We have a real young team and I liked the way they came back,” said Gil, whose team finished with four hits. “We just made some mental errors in the second.

“We played Burbank three times and we went 1-2 against them [in the tournament]. If you told me in the beginning of the season that we would get [to the if-necessary championship game], I would have laughed.”