Photos by Richard Gomez
Staff Photographer
Softball continued its preseason with a 11-2 loss against the Glendale Nitros at home on Tuesday, February 27. The Tigers went in with a record of 0-3.
Since the Tigers were at home, junior Anna Riffle started the game on the mound. In the first inning, Riffle’s steady pitching contributed to the Tigers’ defensively perfect game. The bottom of the first was marked by batters being able to make contact, but hitting fly balls that the Nitros could easily field.
In the second inning, cracks in the Tigers defensive game began to show. The Nitros quickly began scoring with strong hits to the outfield. Despite being behind, with freshman Carissa Park at third base, catcher junior Catherine Connolly behind the plate, and shortstop freshman Amanda Kanaly in the pocket, South Pas was able to halt the bleeding by obtaining crucial outs. At the closing of the inning, the score was 2-0 in favor of Glendale.
A combination of the Nitros’ powerful offense and Tigers’ weaker defense contributed to Glendale’s widening lead. By the end of the third inning, the Tigers were down 4-0. Despite being able to get runners on base, Glendale’s defense proved too strong for the Tigers as the third inning ended with a runner being tagged out at home.
During the fourth inning, freshman Sarah De La O was switched in to replace Riffle. With De La O pitching, the Nitros’ offense was momentarily halted.
The Tigers struggled to score until late in the game. Unaffected by the apparent drought was sophomore Katarina Castro, ran in for the only two runs that the Tigers could claim for the duration of the casual six innings. Castro scored first in the bottom of the fourth, as Connolly knocked her home with a clutch two out RBI. As the fifth and sixth innings dragged on, the Nitros widened their lead to an impressive 11-1. Castro scored the final run: making the final score 11-2.
Softball’s next game is away on Thursday, March 1 against La Salle High School.
