SOFTBALL: Temple City comes back to beat Tigers

Tigers unable to hold on in 7-6 loss to Rams.
South Pasadena took a 6-3 lead in the fourth before Temple City tied it in the sixth, and won it in the seventh.

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(Correspondent photo by Mike Mullen)

Tuesday’s scores
Temple City 7, South Pasadena 6
La Canada 4, Monrovia 1
Arcadia 5, San Marino 2

Temple City claws back
Rams overcome deficit, top South Pasadena

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
TEMPLE CITY – It could have been easy to call it a day. South Pasadena High School’s softball team scored six runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-3 lead over host Temple City in a Rio Hondo League game on Wednesday.
“I stepped back and said, `Well, I believe in this team, and their heart, too,’ ” Rams coach Bob Ellingsworth said. “A lot of teams would just fold. They regrouped.”
The Rams chipped away, tied the game in the sixth inning and won it in the seventh inning, 7-6.
“They came off the field and I saw it in their eyes,” Ellingsworth said. “They were ready to go. They kept going at it. They executed and played great defense.”
It wasn’t easy, but the Rams took advantage of South Pasadena miscues. The Tigers committed three errors in the final two innings.
“I was honestly down a little bit, but I had to stay strong and think positive,” Temple City shortstop Veronica Grant said. “Sometimes we get down and stay down, but this time we fought back with all of our heart.”
The Rams’ biggest break came in the seventh inning. Grant hit a one-out, Nichole Parada change-up – a pitch Grant said she was waiting for – to right field. The ball was picked up by right fielder Laura Parada, and then a lot happened. Grant ran into first baseman Michelle Mun and both players fell. Grant eventually reached third base.
“I wasn’t expecting her to be in my way, actually,” Grant said. “She’s played with me before and she knows how aggressive I am. But on their side, it was kind of lucky that I hit her because my coach would have sent me home. Who would have made it home first?”
A throw might have nailed Grant at the plate, but she was on third with one out.
Caitlin Ellingsworth then laid down a bunt just in front of South Pasadena catcher Katrina Skogsbergh, with Grant heading home. Pitcher Parada made a nice dive to get on the ball, but she could not get it out of her glove in time to get it to Skogsbergh in time to tag out Grant.
“They know how to do the short game and the long game,” Bob Ellingsworth said. “They know how to come at you in a lot of different ways.”
Grant went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in the first inning and an RBI double in the fifth. She reached base in all four at-bats and also drew a catcher’s interference call.
“Usually, Nichole gets me out,” Grant said. “I just wanted a good hit. I was not expecting a home run.”
The Rams scored on three errors. The Tigers scored with consecutive hits.
Shelby Gogreve doubled and Amanda Castro, Courtney Dunlap, Brittany O’Dell and Kelsey Hertel had consecutive singles. A fielder’s choice and an error tied the game and Nichole Parada singled in two runs. Skogsbergh’s sacrifice fly made it 6-3, and coach Ellingsworth had seen enough of Caitlin Ellingsworth.
“I think she was throwing too hard and not letting the ball move,” he said. “She was trying to do too much, and sometimes you overthrow and the ball flattens out. You take a little bit off and let your ball move and do things. And they hit the ball well.”
Melissa Vega came in and retired the next six batters. The Tigers got only two more runners on base, off an error and a Mun single.
The Rams then began chipping back. Alex Aguirre-Chavez walked and scored on Grant’s double.
Then, in the sixth, Jessica Kosharek singled and scored when Parada threw away the ball on a play at first base. Ashley Perez then bunted down the third-base line. O’Dell threw to first base, but there was a mix-up on coverage and the ball went down the line to score O’Dell.

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