Marauders shut out Mustangs
Monache softball head coah Dave Koontz said he’s running out of words to describe how great his pitcher Chloe Rivas is after the senior pitched a 7-0 shutout in Friday’s East Yosemite League victory over Tulare Western in Tulare.
Rivas pitched all seven innings and had a nohitter up until the final inning. She allowed just two hits and no walks while retiring 12 batters.
“It was the Chloe Rivas show,” Koontz said. “The rest of the team played great too. But as a pitcher she dominated. She pitched where I asked and was hitting her location pretty well.”
Rivas also had two big defensive plays - one where she caught a popfly the first baseman had dropped before it hit the ground - and hit well as usual. She was 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIS.
“She was monstrous today,” Koontz said. “It’s hard to keep coming up with new things as to how good she is.”
Other top hitters for the Marauders were Taliann Hunter, Kailyn Castle and Jessenia Castillo. Hunter went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIS while Koontz was very pleased with Castle going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Castillo went afor-2 with an RBI.
Koontz added that Western played well and Monache was only up 2-0 going into the fifth.
On Wednesday, Monache beat Delano 18-1 where Rivas pitched five innings with 10 strikeouts and allowed only two hits. The Tigers lone run was scored on two errors.
Hunter went 3-for-3 against Delano with a double and three RBIS. Kiyah Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIS. Woodlake 19 Granite Hills 14
Granite Hills softball team fell 19-14 at home to Woodlake in Wednesday’s East Sequoia League team.
Mykah Mitchell pitched the whole game and hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning while Hailey Mitchell hit one in the seventh.
“Every inning we answered back and got back unearned runs but our defense let Woodlake sneak back into the game,” GHHS head coach Rosalinda Campos said. “Getting on base wasn’t the issue, our defense wasn’t as solid.”
Campos said the team had six errors. Sequoias 4 Porterville 2
Freshman Angel Geston smacked a tworun home run for Porterville College but that would account for all the Pirates’ scoring in a 4-2 Central Valley Conference loss at College of the Sequoias on Thursday.
COS (25-10, 15-4 CVC) put the game out of reach early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning off Porterville starting pitcher Alexis Rodriguez.
The Pirates were held scoreless until the top of the sixth inning. Chelsea Ramos hit a two-out double for PC just before Geston connected for her seventh home run of the season.
Sequoias added an insurance run in the bottom of sixth. PC had a chance to tie in the top of the seventh but left a pair of runners on base.
Geston and Ramos both went 2-for-3 to lead Porterville at the plate. Rodriguez pitched well despite taking the loss. She allowed three earned runs and five hits in the completegame effort.
Porterville, now 1619 overall and 8-11 in conference play, closes out the regular season on Tuesday, April 24, starting at 1 p.m. with a home CVC doubleheader against West Hills College Coalinga (6-26, 5-14 CVC).
BASEBALL
Taft 6 Porterville 2
Porterville College designated hitter Jared Hewes and second baseman Matt Langston had two hits each to account for four of the Pirates’ five in the team’s 6-2 Central Valley Conference loss at Taft College on Thursday.
Porterville fell behind early as Taft jumped out to a quick lead with two runs in the bottom of the first off starting pitcher Matt Cox.
The Pirates’ bats were held in check until the top of the seventh inning. Hewes led off the frame with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and came in to score on a one-out double by Langston.
Taft got the run right back, scoring in the bottom of the seventh to go back up 3-1. In the eighth, PC was able to take advantage of a pair of walks and an error that allowed Nicolas Portillo to score its final run.
But Taft put the game out of reach for good after rallying for three runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Pirates were retired in order in the ninth to close the ball game.
Cox took the loss despite turning in a good outing. He allowed two runs and four hits over five innings. Ricky Reyes closed it out, tossing the final three innings while allowing two runs and four hits. The duo combined for eight strikeouts.
The Pirates (6-20, 5-12 CVC) and Taft (19-17, 9-8 CVC) wrap up their three-game conference series on Saturday at 1 p.m. back in Porterville. PC will look to take the set after winning the opener 6-5 on Tuesday.