SOFTBALL: Alhambra gets its offense in gear

Moors averaging over eight runs a game

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Above: Alhambra’s Jennifer Oliveras scores as Keppel’s third baseman fields the ball in a game played at Keppel High. (SGVN/Staff Photo Keith Birmingham/SXSports)

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
The Alhambra High School softball team is beginning to get its hits at the right time.
Moors coach Armando Molina admits his team wasn’t getting the most of its at-bats earlier this season.
“In preseason, we realized we weren’t hitting very well,” he said. “I thought we were OK, but we weren’t hitting.”
Alhambra, 10-4, started the season 3-3, including a forgettable 5-3 loss to natural rival San Gabriel in the Lincoln tournament. But since a 12-2 loss to San Marino on March 11, the Moors have gone 7-1, averaging 8.8 runs per game. They averaged 6.3 runs per game in the first six contests. Their lone loss during the recent run was 1-0 to South El Monte.
“We’ve been working on our hitting,” Molina said. “That means taking extra rotations and reps, and moving forward.
“I think that now that we’re in league, they’re taking things a lot more seriously.”
The Moors opened league on Tuesday, redeeming that 5-3 loss to the Matadors with a 12-1 victory. Pitcher Sylvia Romero threw a two-hitter.
Today, the Moors travel to Keppel for a key Almont League showdown. The Aztecs are 10-2 overall and 1-0 in league. On Tuesday, they lost a 15-7 nonleague game to Newport Harbor.
Molina said that Keppel has become the Moors’ chief rival because Keppel coach Bobby Madrid is a former San Gabriel coach. Many on his coaching staff “remember him at San Gabriel” and many of the players on the two teams are friends and teammates on a travel ball team, including Romero and Keppel pitcher Justine Morin.
“I’m not worried about our defense,” Molina said. “I’m just worried that they’ll get hits in our gaps. We just need to do well offensively.”
The Moors have relied on younger players of late. Freshman Natalie Alaria and sophomore Brittanie Garcia both went 4-for-4 in the victory over San Gabriel.

FINDING A GROOVE
It was only a matter of time before the Arcadia softball team would hit its mark.
“I think there was a period of transition,” Apaches coach Megan Leahy said. “That happens. You have graduation and changes.”
Leahy is in her first year coaching the varsity team, having replaced Ed Anderson. The Apaches lost several top players to graduation.
“We knew it would take time, but the seniors have helped get things in order. We really have a great group of girls and you could not ask for more from each.”
Arcadia, 7-6, started the season 2-5, including a Pacific League-opening 12-1 loss to host Burbank. But after that defeat, the Apaches won five consecutive games before losing to undefeated Crescenta Valley, 7-3, in the finale before this week’s spring break. The Falcons have been scoring double-digit victories against most teams this season.
“It’s really turning out to be a great season,” Leahy said. “We’ve done well because the girls have worked hard on fundamentals.”
Perhaps the biggest impact has been the play of catcher Caitlin Grimes. The North Texas-bound senior has been a power at the plate and helped starting pitcher Patricia Stark make the transition to the varsity team.
“Curly has been invaluable to us,” Leahy said of her catcher, “especially behind the plate where she has helped Patricia. And Patricia is really beginning to do really well on the mound.”
Junior center fielder Morgan Barchan is also playing well lately, Leahy said.

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