The game drew into a 10th inning after a 9-9 tie at the end of the ninth. An umpire passed out during the fourth due to the 90 degree heat.
Story by Julia Gildersleeve
Staff Writer
Photos by Mac Shropshire
Staff Photographer
Softball played the Alhambra Moors on Saturday, Feb. 28 at home. The Tigers slipped past the Moors 10-9 in the 10th inning for a victorious season opener.
Alhambra started off strong in the first two innings, leading the Tigers 2-0. The Tigers then stole second base, and sophomore infielder Taelyn Adams hit the ball deep left field. This allowed a runner to cross home plate, making the score 2-1 before the next inning.
Senior pitcher Lucia Atencio swiftly struck out the side with exceptional control over her pitches in the second, allowing the Tigers’ offense to strike again. Sophomore Camila Rodriguez sneakily stole second, then third, and then home plate with a spectacular slide, tying the score 2-2. Despite the Tigers loading the bases several times after, their hitters kept striking out. Notably, the Moors made an early pitcher change in the game towards the end of the inning after the pitcher had walked only two players.
During the third inning, the Tigers played exceptional defense. Junior Talula Bearden made an impressive catch, at the expense of crashing into her teammate. After striking the next two batters out, both teams returned to their dugouts for pep talks and advice.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Moors hit a foul ball onto a neighboring house. During the disarray, the umpire stumbled to the wall and sat down. Coaches and members of the crowd rushed to his aid with ice packs and water. The consensus was that he passed out due to heatstroke, so he was excused from the remainder of the game. Another umpire took his place, but instead of standing behind the catcher, he stood next to the pitcher.
When the game resumed, sophomore Cassidy Lee slammed the ball deep left field, and sprinted to second base. Senior Ava Dawson later brought Lee and Adams home with a hit down third-base line that sent Alhambra chasing after the ball. The score became 4-2, with the Tigers leading. Feeling discouraged, the Moors displayed long faces.
The Tigers continued to get runners on second and third bases during the sixth inning. When junior Gemma Converse hit all the way to the back wall, two more runners came home. The crowd exploded with a mix of cheers and sighs. The Tigers lead the Moors 6-2. Rodriquez hit a powerful hit deep to left field, allowing two more runners to cross home plate. The score at the end of the inning was 8-2.
Alhambra returned to the field with revenge in their eyes. The Tigers began to lose momentum, as they had a new pitcher playing who walked several players, while the Moors’ offense continued snowballing into an aggressive offensive push. By the end of the inning, Alhambra managed to get two players on base and score two runs, making the score 8-4.
In the seventh inning, the Tigers hit several fly balls, and made it to third base, but failed to cash in any runs. The Moors, however, got runners on first and second, and chaos ensued when a batter hit deep right field, allowing two runners to pass home plate. After another powerful hit, Alhambra gained another run, catching up to the Tigers 8-7.
Nearing the end of the inning, Alhambra scored two runs, changing the score to 9-8 with them in the lead, due to strong swings and motivation. In response, the Tigers continued to play impressive defense. Sophomore Brooke Zeisler and junior Piper Whitman caught two fly balls, ending Alhambra’s offensive time.
In the eighth inning, Dawson’s hit allowed Bearden to cross home plate, earning another run for the Tigers, tying the score 9-9. The Moors’ hits never made it out of the infield, ruining their chances of finishing the Tigers off.
In the ninth inning, Rodriguez made it to first base, and when Bearden hit the ball deep in the field, Rodriguez started sprinting along the bases. The Moors’ outfielder bobbled the catch under the sweltering heat, and only managed to tag Bearden out. Rodriguez made it past home plate, winning the game 10-9.
The Tiger’s next game is away on Tuesday, March 3 against the Burbank Burroughs Bears at 3:30 p.m.
