IN SPORTS: EAGLES FALL IN LEAGUE PLAY
In three of its last four Central California Athletic Alliance games, the Elliot Christian High softball team has scored 20 or more runs.
But in Tuesday’s CCAA home game against Stone Ridge Christian out of Merced, the Eagles’ offense was grounded, with two hits. Elliot couldn’t find its offensive rhythm, but the Knights did for a 10-0 win. The game ended at five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
This contest had jockeying implications for Elliot (3-3 in the CCAA, 74-1) and Stone Ridge (5-1 in the CCAA, 10-4). The CCAA sends its top four teams into the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs next month. The Knights are alone in second place, the Eagles in third and Big Valley Christian of Modesto (2-3 in the CCAA, 4-10), which entertains Elliot on Thursday, at fourth place.
The Eagles’ two hits came in the fifth, and four innings. Sara Burns singled to centerfield with one out in the fifth that was followed when Lexie Juelch was hit by a pitch. But the Knights recorded the final two outs for the win.
Leading off the bottom of the fourth frame, the Eagles’ Madi Sepp sent the ball up the middle for a single. But a grounder, strike out and fly out ended the Eagles’ offensive chances.
“Hitting is contagious,” said Elliot coach Mike Pontius. “It goes in a positive and negative way.”
Stone Ridge needed two hits in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Hannah Nelson doubled and scored when Emma Eastman shot the ball deep into left field for a three-run home run. McKenzie Salinas walked before Eastman hit her blast.
Elliot pitcher Annabelle Sepp silenced the Knights’ bats in the second inning that saw three up, and three down. In the third inning, Stone Ridge needed only one hit, but one being another home run, also to left field, off Salinas’ bat to make it 5-0.
“Those two home runs certainly set the tone,” Pontius said. “Created momentum for the game.”
Laura Hooker doubled and scored the Knights’ only run in the top of the fourth inning for a 6-0 score. Stone Ridge scored its final four runs in the top of the fifth inning with one hit, plus a walk, hit batter, double steal and a fielder’s choice.
“They beat us in multiple ways,” Pontius said.
The Knights finished with only five hits, and Sepp struck out four Knight batters. The Knights’ pitcher in Eastman fanned eight Elliot batters.
Contact reporter Mike Bush at mikeb@lodinews.com. Follow on Twitter: @MBushLodiSports.