4/17/10 - Senior Power Does Not Overcome

By Tim Gooszen
Photo by Kelly Kappen

Fullerton, CA- Hope International received homeruns from two Seniors- Sheyna Alarcon and Victoria Castillo- playing in their final home games but they could not overcome their eight errors on the day as they fell 5-3 and 7-3 to Vanguard on Saturday afternoon.

In the first game, Freshman Danielle Thomson was drilled with a pitch leading off the second inning. Castillo, pictured, doubled to left center to move Thomson to third.  Then Thomson slid under the tag on a fielder’s choice to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.

The third inning saw the Royals show off their power.  Freshman Kayla Uphold just missed a homerun in left center when the ball bounced off the top of the fence and she settled for a double.  Two batters later, Alarcon made sure the fence would not be an issue as she blasted a shot to left that was a no doubter.

But the Royals would only muster one more hit the rest of the game.

Meanwhile, Uphold did not allowed a hit until the leadoff hitter for the Lions in the fourth singled into center field. An error on the ensuing sacrifice bunt attempt opened the door for two runs to score for Vanguard. 

Uphold escaped a triple in the fifth and a pick-off throw gone bad at first turn into the runner trying to score from first being throw out at the plate on the same play in sixth without give up any runs. 

Heading to the seventh, the Royals were three outs away from the win as they led 3-2.  But an error by the Royals on the first Vanguard hitter in the seventh turned out to be the beginning of the end. A sac bunt, hit batter, single, groundout, and another single plated three runs for the Lions to ultimately give them the win.

Uphold was charged with the tough break loss after all five runs against her were unearned.

Game two started with a Vanguard single up the middle, two stolen bases and a passed ball to put the Lions on top 1-0.

But the Royals answered with walks by Uphold and Senior Lindsay Robillard.  The fourth ball on Robillard went to the backstop and Uphold moved up to third as Robillard hustled all the way to second on the wild pitch.  Alarcon cashed in Uphold with a single and Sophomore Alexis Alonzo drove in Robillard with a sacrifice fly to right to give the Royals a 2-1 lead after one.

Alonzo cruised through the second and third but then saw the wheels completely fall off as the Lions batted around plus one to score four runs in the fourth.

Freshman Janelle Medor came into pitch in the fifth and after walking the first batter she faced she retired the next seven batters after that.  But a single followed two batters later by a homerun pushed the lead to 7-2 (just the second homerun the Lions have hit as a team all season).

Castillo brought the Royals a run closer when she connected for her first career homerun with a drive to left center.  But the Royals would not get any closer.

Alonzo took the loss after four of the five runs against her were earned.

Hope International falls to 14-28 and 2-20 GSAC with Vanguard improving to 29-21, 8-12 GSAC.

The Royals will last have something to say about the season’s conference race when they play at Azusa Pacific on Tuesday.  First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 pm in Azusa.

 

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