Softball: A combination of Walnut errors and West Covina's hit parade leads to 14-1 victory

Walnut's Elaine Brown walked and scored on a passed ball in the first inning, but that was all the Mustangs could muster off Monarrez, who grew stronger as the game wore on.

"She does battle," Bulldogs coach Colin Logan said of Monarrez. "She doesn't take a pitch off. She's a very competitive person who loves to compete.

"It wasn't an ideal day, but I don't think it mattered to her at all. She was probably enjoying it."

West Covina improved to 5-3 overall and 2-0 in the new Hacienda League. Walnut dropped to 4-4 and 0-1.

Walnut pitcher Kiarra Vance was sailing along with a 1-0 lead through two innings and almost got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third when West Covina's Alexis Gonzalez hit a short fly to center that Brown caught on the run and threw to second for a double play, nailing a Bulldogs runner cheating off the bag.

Walnut, though, then committed back-to-back errors that allowed Stefanie Jimenez and Alex Blanco to score to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.

After Ashley Rodriguez's two-out double to right scored Jimenez, the Mustangs made another error that helped the Bulldogs to a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning.

"Once we settled ourselves down, we started to get in a groove and the hits started coming," Logan said.

With the Bulldogs leading 5-1 in the fifth, Jimenez doubled home two more for a 7-1 lead.

After Walnut pulled Vance in the sixth, the rain started and the Bulldogs had their biggest inning, scoring seven runs for a 14-1 lead.

West Covina finished the game with 10 hits.

fred.robledo@sgvn.com