Results tagged “Big Sky Conference” from Yucaipa Now

Hannah Ulibarri celebrates the Barstow Aztecs, 5-4, victory over the Beaumont Cougars in a CIF Southern Section Division V Wild Card game at Beaumont on Tuesday.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

BEAUMONT - When they needed her to reach deep and throw her best pitches, Hannah Ulibarri responded like a senior veteran softball pitcher.

Except for one thing - she's not a senior, and she's not a veteran - at least in terms of years of high school pitching experience.

Ulibarri, just a 15-year-old freshman, pitched seven strong innings in leading the Barstow Aztecs to a 5-4 victory over the Beaumont Cougars in the wild card round of the CIF Southern Section Division V Playoffs at Beaumont High School on Tuesday.

With her teammates supporting her with a 4-0 lead, Ulibarri carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and was working on a one-hitter into the sixth, when the Beaumont bats suddenly came to life and erupted for four hits to even the score at 4-4.

Beaumont appeared to seize the momentum, but a fielding error and errant throw allowed Barstow to retake the lead for good in the top of the seventh.

Now the pressure fell on Ulibarri. Could she hold Beaumont - which had gotten to her in the sixth - and get three more outs and nail down the win? Two fly ball outs and a game-ending strikeout answered that question.

"She has been battling like that all year," said Barstow Head Coach, Daron Banks. "In the sixth, she started getting her pitches high and missing a little, but she was able to pull herself up and she battled back in the seventh with good pitches and by hitting her spots."