WNC Softball: Wildcats Knock Off Third-Ranked Arizona Western
Submitted by editor on Sat, 02/07/2015 - 12:46pm
It was a history-making day for the Western Nevada College softball team on Friday in Yuma, Ariz.
The Wildcats upset Great Western Shootout tournament host Arizona Western College, 2-1, and Eastern Arizona College, 11-7, to beat those programs for the first time ever.
WNC also defeated Yavapai College for the second time in a week, winning 8-3 in eight innings.
The victory over third-ranked Arizona Western College is the highest-rated team WNC has ever beaten. To do so, the Wildcats used aggressive baserunning to push across the deciding run in the seventh inning.
"We're instilling in them that no matter who we play, we're going to give our best effort. We're looking at every opponent as being faceless," said WNC coach Leah Wentworth. "They are improving from one weekend to the next, so it is really exciting."
Pamela Sakuma started the winning rally with a single and advanced to second base on Makaylee Jaussi's bunt base hit. The Matadors forced out the Sakuma at third base on Katilyn Covione's grounder, setting up a decisive double steal by the Wildcats. The throw from the catcher glanced off the shortstop's glove, allowing Jaussi to score the winning run.
"We were kind of taking a little gamble with the double steal, but I knew if it didn't go as planned, we'd still have a runner in scoring position with one of our key hitters at the plate," Wentworth said.
WNC overcame an injury to starting pitcher Nicole Lesniak to pull off the upset. Lesniak was removed from the game in the bottom of the second inning when the ball struck two of her fingers while taking a swing. Kristina George came in and silenced the Matador hitters the rest of the way, allowing just two hits.
"She works incredibly hard, continues to improve and is a smart pitcher on the mound, knowing where she wants to pitch the hitters and effectively mixing her speeds," Wentworth said.
So far this season, George has been hit for when pitching, but given the chance to hit on Friday, she proved to be more than a capable hitter. Her solo homer in the fourth inning tied the score at 1.
Jaussi led the Wildcats' five-hit attack by going 2 for 2. George, Sakuma and Lauren Lesniak each contributed a hit.
"That says a lot when every other time we played Arizona Western, they have run-ruled us. It really shows what these girls are capable of," Wentworth said.
A five-run first inning helped WNC dispatch Eastern Arizona. Three walks and three singles keyed the early rally, and the Wildcats kept making contact, totaling 11 hits.
Covione led the offense with three hits, while Jaussi, Briauna Carter and Kacie Freudenberger delivered two hits. Both Carter and Covione legged out doubles.
Sadee Sorensen pitched five innings to earn the victory, and Dakota Robinson closed out the win by throwing the final two innings.
WNC opened the day with a hard-fought win over Yavapai. The Roughriders threatened to win it in the seventh inning, putting runners on first and third bases with one out. But George, who relieved starting pitcher Kaitlyn Jimmy in the fifth inning, used a strikeout and groundout to extend the game.
In the eighth, the Wildcats erupted for five runs. Jaussi stole third base after starting the inning at second base under the international tiebreaker rule for softball. Covione plated Jaussi with a go-ahead single. Freudenberger added another RBI single later in the inning, and several Yavapai errors contributed to the five-run outburst.
Carter, Covione and Melanie Mecham accounted for six of the Wildcats' 11 hits. Lauren Lesniak went 1 for 4, including a solo homer, while Jaussi, Freudenberger, Nicole Lesniak and Gabriella Canibeyaz supplied one hit.
WNC (4-3) concludes the tournament with three games on Saturday. The Wildcats play Yavapai at 7:30 a.m., Golden West College of Huntington Beach, Calif., at 9:45 a.m. and Arizona Western at 2:15 p.m.
