AZTECS WIN 10U SOFTBALL TITLE
After falling behind 6-1 after two innings, things didn’t look good for the Bruins on Thursday.
But even though they came up short in the Lodi Boosters of Boys/Girls Sports 10U softball championship at Salas Park, the Bruins made a game of it in a 13-12 loss to the Aztecs.
The Aztecs won the game on Lilly Gifford’s walk-off single to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning, whcih scored baserunner Corbin Kelly.
“It’s not heartbreaking for me,” Bruins coach Tracy Schallberger said. “Our team had a great season, and the girls got better each game. They played their hearts out, the other team just outplayed us.”
Annabelle Sikich had two hits for the Aztecs, along with two from Alex- is Adolf, two from Janella Pinnell and one each from Sofia Quesada, Auslin Cox, and Tessa Hague.
The Bruins got a runner across in the first inning against Aztecs pitcher Quesada. The Aztecs, meanwhile, used patience in the batters box to draw walks and bring across six runs.
Quesada pitched four innings and struck out seven batters. Sikech had two strikeouts in one inning, and Avery Mauch had one strikeout in one inning of work in the circle.
The Bruins pulled together in the second half of the game to get things going.
“(I told them) to just go into the batter’s box with confidence. They can all hit the ball,” Schallberger said. “Sofia throws hard, but we practice and we throw hard at them. It worked, they were putting the ball in play and get-
ting on base.” But it was not to be. The Aztecs, under the direction of coach Jaime Quesada, also pulled together and walked off the field as champions.
“Win or lose, it was a fun game,” Schallberger said.