Softball: La Cañada jumps on San Marino miscues, 7-4.
UPDATE: For the record, a few of us took a second look at the score book. Upon further review, we've determined Michelle Floyd had six unearned runs against one earned. Lauren O'Leary had two unearned runs against one earned, which came in the sixth inning. There was some confusion early in the game as to whether a Floyd pitch was a wild pitch or a passed ball. Also, passed balls on dropped third strikes are not considered as errors.
By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer
SAN MARINO - There was frustration throughout, with a barrage of errors being the culprit.
Nevertheless, the La Cañada High School softball team capitalized early and often as it completed a Rio Hondo League sweep over San Marino with a 7-4 win Wednesday.
San Marino (11-6, 5-3) started a young infield with the absence of all-league shortstop Alexis Watanabe and all-league third baseman Jacqueline Martinez. Watanabe (.500, 10 RBIs, five doubles) was out with an illness and Martinez (.314) served a one-game suspension stemming from an ejection Tuesday against Monrovia.
The inexperienced infield was prone to vulnerability, and no one knew that better than La Cañada coach KC Mathews. The Spartans (17-3, 8-0) were aggressive on the basepaths and quickly pounced on the Titans, who committed four errors and had a slew of miscues at home plate.
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La Cañada's Anna Edwards in the first and second innings reached first on an error and twice went on to score. In the first she stole second and made it 1-0 on a dropped third strike to Aubri Thompson, who reached first on the throw to first. Shirley Drange's RBI double made it 2-0.
Selina Mohr in the second inning connected for a bunt single before stealing second base. Next came Edwards who again reached base on an error. This time she made it all the way to third, allowing Mohr to score easily and make it 3-0. Edwards then scored on a passed ball to make it 4-0, and again in the third the Spartans scored on a passed ball. This time catcher Catherine Horner led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a fly out.
"They were definitely short a couple players," Mathews said. "That's unfortunate to come into a game like this and not have your full squad going. Again, if we can take advantage of it and get away with a (win) I'll take it."
La Cañada's Lauren O'Leary struck out eight and gave up five hits and three earned runs.
San Marino coach Hilda Valencia has yet to beat La Cañada in three seasons at the helm, and errors have been the key reason.
"That's the frustrating part because we know we're a good team and we know we can actually put up a fight against them," Valencia said. "We can't expect to win when we have that many errors."
San Marino's Michelle Floyd struck out 11 and gave up three earned runs and four hits. Courtney Johnson started the rally with a bunt single. Larissa Phillips reached first on an error after a sure tag turned into a dropped ball and Johnson went to second.
Erin Stenwall also reached first on an error that allowed Johnson to score. Emily Stenwall's two-run double pulled the Titans within 5-3.
Edwards capped the Spartans' scoring with a solo home run to left field in the sixth for her eighth homer of the season. Caitlyn Callahan's RBI single in the sixth capped the Titans' scoring.
It was the first time the Spartans have given up an earned run in league.
"Last year I think there was one earned run in both games between both teams," Mathews said. "As we get into the playoffs the more sparse base runners come you're gonna have to take advantage of that kind of stuff to get runs across. With our pitching, if we can get one or two across we're in pretty good shape."
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
Not an RHL sweep of LC over SM - yet, anyway. Next game: Wed 5/4 at SM.
SM 2, LC 0 (4/30/2010) during SM coach HV tenure
SJC, From what I was able to reconstruct from yesterday's game, I would agree with you. San Marino had only 1 earned run which was in the 6th. If you reconstruct the bottom of the 3rd inning there were already two outs when an error occured at 1st base. If the 3rd out is made no runs would have scored. Therefore, all runs scored after the error would be considered unearned. Good call SJC! I don't know about the descrepency on the hits, but it's not enough to consider it a major issue.
I will be entering the La Canada stats from yesterday's game and have it as 1 earned run each for Lauren and Michelle. I do differ with the stats on hits, though. I have La Canada with six and San Marino with five.
Miguel,
You are correct, with all the errors and passed balls it is tricky to score this game and unless you have a rule book it's tough to do. I think we all agree the first 4 LC runs were unearned. The run in the 3rd should be considered unearned as well. Although the batter reached base on a single she advanced 3rd base by a passed ball and a deep fly ball to center. The key here is that she advanced and scored on a passed ball. According to MLB 10.16(d) "a run shall not be considered earned if the runner's advances has been aided by....a passed ball". The Homerun in the 5th is earned. The last run in the 6th occured by way of 2 errors, one in the outfield and one in the infield. If those errors did not occur there would have been 3 outs and the run would not have scored. At the end of the day the team, La Canada, that made the least amount of errors won the game. Congrats! These two teams play again and hopefully both teams will have good games.
No I do not believe everything I read! I know coaches like to put what they want to make their players stand out over others! I was as well at the game and I agree with Miguel that there were 3 earned runs each!!!
The San Marino scorekeepers are more than happy to sit down with the La Canada scorekeepers and any other reasonably knowledgeable person who saw the game to go through each play and inning. We suspect the differences lie in the sequence of batters and what happened during the innings as well as how all the passed balls that allowed scores were handled are the difference.
Wednesday's game, what with all the errors, made it tricky to figure out earned and unearned runs. I consulted with the scorebooks from both teams and we all agreed on errors/earned runs for both teams.
Softball Fan:
Maybe Miguel had it wrong. Or are you one of those types who believes everything they read on the web as true....
I was at the game and La Canada had only 1, maybe 2 earned runs at the most.
I found the MaxPreps stats to be biased and completely unreliable in all accounts, not just pitching. Schools show only what they want people to see. And unfortunately, scorekeeping is completely subjective....so who knows what information is correct?
Miguel you advise each pitcher gave up 3 earned runs?? Then why does San Marino only show 1 earned run for Michelle? La Canada has not put their stats so don't know for sure if they will show 3 earned runs. I guess seeing ERA stats on Max Prep are questionable if their not putting true earned runs for Michelle or maybe the score keeper does not know when it is a earned or unearned run!!!