A laid-back pregame gave way to a nerve-racking game at Bakersfield College Thursday afternoon.
After the Renegades and their foes from Glendale took full advantage of a 48-minute delay due to field conditions, dance-battling their way through an array of 21st-century pop hits, the two teams found themselves in a real battle on the diamond soon after.
The Vaqueros, who had been outscored 49-2 over their previous three meetings with BC, took advantage of the Renegades’ inconsistent base running, defensive errors and poor clutch hitting to tie the game at 3-3 in the fourth inning.
But leadoff hitter Shelbie Valencia came through for the Renegades in the fifth, battling her way to a three-run home run on an 0-2 count and completing a 4-for-4 day.
“When she does well at the plate, we usually win,” BC coach Casey Goodman said. “She’s leadoff for a reason, she takes great at-bats, she gets the rest of the lineup pumped up and going … It doesn’t hurt to have a leadoff that can hit bombs, too.”
After an up-and-down stint in relief by Kady Smith, starter Ryleigh Harrison reentered the circle to get the last five outs and seal a 6-4 win for BC.
The Renegades have had their last five weeks derailed by a slew of weather-related postponements, and Thursday’s game, once it finally got going, became just the second Western State Conference matchup they have been able to play since March 10. They improved to 14-8 (6-1 WSC) with plenty of doubleheaders to come on the schedule.
“We haven’t been able to get in a rhythm all year,” Goodman said. “We play a game, it rains a week, we play a game, it rains a week. Any time right now, at this point, when we can get a win, it doesn’t really matter how we’re doing it, it just matters that it’s a ‘W’ in the win column.”
Harrison gave up a pair of early hits, a Mya Chacon double and Jayleen Piedra single, as Glendale earned its first run. However, BC looked back on course for another dominant victory after turning a pair of singles into two first-inning scores.
The Renegades were unable to continue apace. In the following three innings, they left a combined eight runners on base, scoring just one run on a Smith solo homer to right-center field.
That kept the Vaqueros within striking distance. Smith came in to pitch from right field, and Glendale promptly loaded the bases on walks by Lilly Brito and Aurora Alcaraz and an error by second baseman Alyna Ruiz that prevented a possible double play. Brito scored on a wild pitch, and then Breanna Payne hit a ground ball that Valencia threw home to catcher Stephanie Kay, but in a non-force situation, Kay stepped on home rather than applying the tag. Ginger Duncan came home to tie the game.
The Renegades couldn't convert right away, but Destiny Cuellar singled to lead off the fifth inning, Meredith Boshers bunted her over and Ruiz came aboard before Valencia fell behind 0-2, fouled off a pair of pitches (including one barely foul down the third-base line), then smacked a ball to deep center for the go-ahead home run.
Chacon, who finished 2-for-4, scored Duncan with a two-out, bases-loaded single off Harrison in the following inning, but Natasha Cohen struck out on a full count and the Vaqueros couldn't get much more done in the seventh inning.
Camille Chavez, Ruiz and Smith tallied two hits each for BC, which totaled 14 on the day. Chacon was the only player with a multi-hit day, or even an extra-base hit, for Glendale.
The Renegades will travel to face Santiago Canyon for a doubleheader Saturday.
“We just keep telling them, 'We get to play a lot of games in a short amount of time,'" Goodman said. "And sometimes kids rise to that occasion, and hopefully that’s what we’re going to see.”
The Hawks beat BC 5-3 in their season opener, when they were No. 7 in the state, but have since dropped out of the rankings during a challenging conference slate. The Renegades ranked No. 13 prior to Thursday's contest.
