2/10/10 - Royals Finally Open Season With Split

By Tim Gooszen

Whittier, CA- After two fail attempts due rainouts to open the season, Hope International finally got their 2010 season underway on Wednesday against Whittier.  The Royals earned their first win of the season in the opener 3-2 in 9 innings.  The night cap was declared final in the fifth inning due to darkness with the Poets earning the 12-6 win.  In her collegiate debut, Kayla Uphold earned the Game 1 win and was 4-8 at the plate with an RBI on the day.  Just as impressive was Danielle Thomson, also in her collegiate debut, going 3-5 with a double and RBI in the two games.

The Royals opened the season with a quiet first six innings as they managed six hits but could not produce any runs though they left five stranded.  Meanwhile in the fourth, the Poets turned two singles and a stolen base into a run.  Whittier tacked on another run in the sixth on the benefit of three singles.

With the Royals down to their final three outs of the Game 1, Sophomore Bree Briones opened the seventh inning with a walk.  Following a fielder’s choice and single, Sophomore Alexis Alonzo scored the Royals’ first run of the season on a wild pitch.  Two batters later, Uphold singled through the right side to drive home the tying run in the likes of Freshman Janelle Medor.

With two outs in the ninth, Freshman Leslie Coffee drew a walk, Uphold single to left and Thomson ripped a double to center to bring home Coffee for the game winning run.

In the circle, Uphold went all nine innings of Game 1 for the win allowing eight hits while striking out six.  She seemed to find her groove in the seventh and into the extra innings as she only allowed one hit the final three innings.

The Royals wasted little time finding the score board in Game 2 as Thomson walked and Junior Caitlin Angel followed with a single.  A double steal put both runners in scoring position for Senior Sheyna Alarcon who deposited a single into left to plate both runners.

A single run in both the third and fourth and a Briones single to center that brought home two more runs in fifth accounted for the Royals reaching their six runs.

Unfortunately, the Poets found their power and hit four home runs (including a three run bomb in the second inning) to account for 9 of their 12 runs in the second game.

Alonzo suffered the loss in the night cap.

Currently the Royals do not have a real game scheduled again until February 24 at Menlo on their way up to Oregon.  However, they are expecting to reschedule at least one of the rained out double headers before then.

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