Patriots edge Rams 9-6 behind Absher's big hit
| Wednesday, Apr 22 2009 11:32 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Apr 23 2009 09:23 AM
Images
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Garces's #3 Amanda Barker makes a catch in their game against Liberty Wednesday afternoon. Coming in to backup is #18 Marisa Marmolejo.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Liberty's # 7 Cassidy Bell beats the throw to third as Garces' #18 Marisa Marmolejo can't quite handle the ball.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Liberty's #9 Marissa Bustos, center, is met by her celebrating teammates after she hit a home run in their game against Garces. Liberty won the game 9-6.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Liberty's #7 Cassidy Bell scores a run as Garces' catcher # 7 Lupe Vasquez-Ortiz isn't able to control the ball. Liberty won the game 9-6.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Garces' #24 Kayla Gardner chases down Liberty's #3 Leslie Mesa to finish up a double play at second base. Gardner first tagged out Liberty's #11Kristina Gonzales who was trying to return to third base. Liberty won the game 9-6.
In a softball game, the showdown can come at any time and end in any way.
Liberty and Garces played for an hour and 35 minutes Wednesday at Liberty when it hit. The ending was unusual, and it gave the Patriots a 9-6 victory in a key SEYL game.
With the Rams clinging to a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with the bases loaded and two outs, Garces' Anna Paquette had Liberty's Liz Aguilar down 0-2 in the count.
Her next pitch, though buzzed Aguilar inside and glanced off her forearm. Tie game.
"All of the sudden, with one pitch, momentum changes and the pressure changes," Liberty coach Henry Arias said.
"Now the pressure's on them with the bases loaded. All of a sudden, you have a (young) pitcher out there and she's in a position she's not used to. All of a sudden, she might panic and throw a pitch right down the middle."
Showdown No. 2 was decided quickly when the next batter, Patriots senior Caitlin Absher, drilled the first pitch into left-center field for a three-run double. She ended with both feet on second base, hands on her helmet and a big smile on her face.
"I always hear my dad's voice in the background, and he always pumps me up," Absher said.
"Then Leslie (Mesa), my teammate, she just told me to breathe and that she believed in me. Everything just fell into place."
The victory pulls Liberty (23-9-1, 5-1 SEYL) within a game of idle Golden Valley, which is 6-0 in league and has beaten both the Patriots and Rams. Garces falls to 14-9-1, 4-2.
"There's no dominant pitcher, so teams' (lineups) are effective 1 through 9 right now," Arias said. "... You go back two (games), and you're not out of it, but you've put yourself in a bad situation."
But, as Arias was quick to say afterwards, this one was anything but comfortable. Liberty jumped to a 3-0 lead on RBI singles from Cassidy Bell and Leslie Mesa in the first and a wild pitch in the second, but Garces tallied five times in the third -- a two-out, two-run triple from Marisa Marmolejo the big blow.
Liberty's Marissa Bustos blasted a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 5-4. Then Paquette, just a sophomore, relieved Garces starter Kaila Williams and settled down the Liberty lineup. She struck out four and allowed just one hit in her first 22/3 innings of work.
"She came in and did a heck of a job for us," Garces coach Mike D'Amato said. "I told our girls there's a lot of positives here. We're a young team, and I see some good stuff."
It almost turned into a road win, but Liberty won both big showdowns late.
"The most important thing is getting the win," Arias said. "Obviously it wasn't pretty, but we got it done."
