Defensive change helps Lakewood defeat Poly
LONG BEACH » Lakewood softball coach Andy Miramontes looked to strengthen his defense Wednesday, knowing he was down one outfielder.
So, Cat Calzada, who is typically the Lancers' starting catcher, moved to shortstop and Miramontes put Izzy Rueda in left field.
The move proved to make a difference with the game on the line.
With a pair of runners on, including the tying run on second base, Long Beach Poly cleanup hitter Sakarah Buckner flied out to Rueda and Lakewood held on for a 4-3 Moore League victory in a back-and-forth affair at Joe Rodgers Field.
“With that substitution, it makes my outfield a lot stronger and (Poly) can swing the bat,” Miramontes said. “It proved to work because that left fielder (Rueda) would've been playing second base, and guess what?”
Miramontes stopped himself short of saying the play would not have been made otherwise.
At the plate, Calzada came through with a clutch, go-ahead hit while trailing 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning.
The Lancers (14-7-1, 9-1) put together a two-out rally, with Rueda and Julia Miramontes both reaching on infield singles. Calzada then scorched a two-run triple to right field off Jackrabbits starting pitcher Nyla Springer.
“I was looking for a pitch to go outside,” Calzada said. “I wasn't really looking to have a big hit like that. I was just looking for a line drive because I knew that we needed runs.”
Poly (14-5, 6-3) had a chance of its own with runners in scoring position in the fifth.
Tiare Ho-Ching led off with a single and sister Kiele Ho-Ching reached on an error. Despite moving up to second and third with just one out, the Jackrabbits were retired on questionable back-toback strikeouts on the outside corner by Lancers starter Laci Berocochea.
“The biggest thing was adjusting to (the umpire's zone),” Berocochea said. “If he's going to give it, take it.”
Andy Miramontes, who had his own disagreements on calls on the bases, acknowledged Berocochea “might have had a little help with the umpires.”
“But that went both ways,” he added.
Jackrabbits coach Elizabeth Sanches-Martin said her team simply had to make the adjustment at the plate.
“The umpire is in charge of the strike zone,” she said. “If he's calling that pitch, then we need to make the adjustment and figure out ways to make contact, to put the ball in play.”
Down to their last out, the Jackrabbits
again put runners on, with Kiele Ho-Ching reaching on an error and Emoni Lam Sam intentionally walked after Ho-Ching stole second base.
Berocochea, who went the distance, credited her defense for closing out the win.
“I was trusting my team and trusting my stuff more,” said Berocochea, who allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five without issuing a walk.
Springer was not as lucky on miscues by the Poly defense.
Leading 1-0 in the second, the
Jackrabbits allowed a pair of runs on as many errors in one sequence. A dropped fly ball in center scored Kaleyse Foster from second and allowed batter Kaitlyn Lewis to race to third on the late throw home.
A throw to third, as Lewis slid in, got away and she dashed home to take a 2-1 lead.
“I'm happy we kept fighting ... but when you make mistakes against a team as good as Lakewood, those mistakes come back to bite you,” Sanches-Martin said.
Buckner and Kiele Ho-Ching each had RBI singles to pace Poly.
The win helped the Lancers keep pace in the race for the Moore League championship.
Lakewood will host first-place Millikan in the regular-season finale next Thursday. Last season, the Rams edged the Lancers by a game for the league crown.
This season, Lakewood dropped the first game 7-6 on April 3.
“I knew it was going to be close,” Andy Miramontes said. “A lot of parity in the league. It's going to set up for a great Moore League showdown.”