COD Softball puts 4 runs across in the 7th, falls to the Jaguars, 7-4

COD (3-17; 1-6) showed a tremendous amount of fight and grit as they scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh and got the tying run to the plate, falling to the Chula Vista Southwestern Jaguars (16-6; 6-1), 7-4. 

Sophomore left handed starting pitcher Amanda Martinez (Indio H.S.) tossed a complete game, seven innings, surrendering seven runs, five earned, on eleven hits, striking out two in her sixth loss of the season. Sophomore left fielder Yizel Nunez (Beaumont H.S.), freshman first baseman Keana Tolentino (Cathedral City H.S.) and freshman designated player Arlene Santana (Indio H.S.) all had RBI's on the afternoon.

The Jaguars put three runs on the board in the top of the first as a single and a pair of doubles gave Southwestern an early 3-0 lead. They would add to that lead in the top of the fourth as they plated two more runs, one on a fielding error and the other on a sacrifice fly, giving the Jaguars a 5-0 lead. 

The Roadrunners were actually no hit through the bottom of the fifth, but with one out freshman third baseman Rebecca Alford (Thermal Coachella Valley) clobbered a double to center field. Unfortunately, Alford would remain on the base paths. 

Desert kept battling, but the Jaguars added a run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth and then led off the top of the seventh with a home run to left field, going into the bottom of the seventh with Southwestern holding a 7-0 lead.

The Jaguars brought in a new pitcher to wrap things up and ended up surrendering a lead-off infield single to sophomore center fielder Malissa Nielsen's (Palm Desert H.S.), who promptly scampered to second base on a wild pitch. Sophomore short stop Taylor Stone (Palm Desert H.S.) collected the second infield hit of the inning when she hit a spinning top to the second baseman and both runners reached safely. Finally, when sophomore catcher Darbie Catalfamo (Indio Shadow Hills) reached on a four pitch walk, the Southwestern coaching staff had seen enough and returned their starter back into the circle.

With the bases loaded and no one out, Alford punished a shot right at the first baseman, thankfully some heads up running by the Roadrunners kept the team out of a potential double play. Then Nunez secured a bases loaded walk to smash the shutout, scoring Nielsen. Tolentino would poke a single to center as the Jaguars were in a "no doubles" defense, scoring Stone. Santana reached on a fielder's choice as the Southwestern second baseman tagged Tolentino and tried to double up Santana and threw the ball away, scoring Catalfamo and Nunez.

As the Roadrunners turned over their lineup and lead-off hitter Martinez grabbed a two out walk, the tying run stepped into the batter's box and…struck out.

Photo by Britney Vargas (COD Sports Information)
Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.