IN SPORTS: FLAMES FALL TO SACRAMENTO POWER
Defense keeps Flames in the game against defending D1 champ Sheldon
Rylie Brooks was 43 feet away from home plate.
The Lodi High softball player, pinchrunning for Samantha Amarante who doubled to left field, stole third base in the bottom of the fourth inning against Sheldon of Sacramento in Tuesday’s non-league game at the Lodi Softball Complex. The visiting Huskies, at that point, led 1-0.
But the Flames were unable to send Brooks home. Lodi finished with only two hits, as Sheldon, which won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title last spring, registered a 4-0 win over the Flames for the first loss of the season.
Prior to stealing third, Brooks was almost picked off at second base. The Flames’ Meagan Gonzalez hit a sharp grounder to Sheldon shortstop Maci Fines, who tossed to second baseman Maddi Ayers. But Brooks slid underneath Ayers’ tag, which was high, and called safe.
After Brooks and Gonzalez moved to third and second bases, respectively, on a double steal, Lodi (2-1-1) were unable to generate additional offense. A fly out and two unassisted plays by Sheldon first baseman Sam Oliver retired the side.
“We’ve just got to execute those runners over,” said Lodi coach Michelle Guardado. “The last two games, we’ve been hitting.”
After a quiet fifth inning by both teams, Sheldon (4-0) needed only one hit in the top of the sixth to ice the victory.
After two walks and a Lodi fielding error, Fines smacked the ball down the first base line that went into the right field corner for a bases-clearing triple.
“Usually, we’ve been hitting the ball earlier in games,” said Sheldon coach Mary Jo Truesdale, who’s been the softball coach since the school opened its doors in the mid-1990s. “Today, it took a little while.”
Lodi had no answer to the Huskies’ runs in bottom of the sixth, and its last at-bat in the seventh.
Sheldon led 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, when Lodi went small ball to create its first hit. The Flames’ Ashlee Toy put down the ball in front of Huskies pitcher Grace Owen. The freshman didn’t toy around on the base paths, beating Owen’s throw to first base for a successful bunt single. But two ground outs got the Huskies out of the jam.
In the top of the first frame, Sheldon scored its first run when Fines walked and scored on Sarah Brown’s double. The score remained that way until the sixth. Defensivel plays by Lodi outfielders Marissa Fabian, Toy and Dessa Zavala were huge in the game.
“It’s always fun to play Lodi,” Truesdale said. “They were excellent, defensively.”
Pitching in the circle for the Flames was Shelby Featherston, who tossed 5 1/3 innings. Then Danielle Pfennig finished the game.
“Shelby was getting out of a lot of jams,” said Guardado, whose Flames committed only one error in the game. “I enjoy playing a team like (Sheldon). I’m pretty satisfied with how things worked out defensively.”