Girls softball leveraged a big sixth-inning rally to easily defeat Covina 8-2 on Wednesday in Claremont.

It was a bit of a surprise result as the two teams seemed well-matched, trading runs throughout most of the game, and the Colts put up a more disciplined defense.

Covina looked tough when their pitcher, senior Isabella Sierra, got an RBI single to start the game off. But the Pack came right back in the second inning when junior Savannah Hentz tripled and then scored on a sacrifice ground ball from Camryn Texeira.

Covina’s Sierra got another single as lead-off batter in the fourth inning and then advanced to third on an error. With two down, Destiny Razo singled to right field scoring Sierra, but in a base-running mix-up the Colts were tagged out at third ending the inning.

Claremont sophomore Lani Moreno had a big day at the plate, beginning with a fourth-inning home run that evened the score at two. On a side note, Wednesday’s game was played without the portable outfield fence which meant any long hit, like Moreno’s, had to be chased down, giving runners time to take extra bases.

Sierra pitched a solid game, with the exception of the sixth inning, which was a disaster for her. Junior Cady Giles started the rout off with a soft fly single and then advanced to second on a beautifully-placed bunt by Katrina Merrick. Moreno then got a two RBI triple, which prompted the Colts to replace Sierra with freshman Bailey Griego.

Unfortunately, Griego did not do much better, as the first batter she faced, Katie Kempton, hit an RBI double. Covina finally got an out with an easy play at first, but Claremont was not deterred, as Dani Pichay tripled, scoring Moreno from second. Griego proved her worth, and reflexes, with an amazing catch on a line drive, giving the Colts their second out. But any hope that the pain was alleviated ended when Kalena Jimenez hit a ground ball that only narrowly stayed fair, but caught the left fielder unaware. Due to the missing outfield fence, the Colts had to chase the ball, resulting in very unlikely home run.

Covina finally got the third out, but the damage was done and Claremont only had to face three more batters to get the win.

Sophomore Emily Carrillo earned the win, pitching seven innings while striking out seven, walking two and giving up six hits. Claremont got a total of 10 hits.

Claremont Coach Vince Hernandez was understandably pleased with the girls’ performance. “We came out a little flat but they settled down and we came back. That is why I am really proud of them today,” he said. “We had great pitching today. Emily is throwing strikes and her pitches are working for her and that’s the key.”

Looking forward to Palomares League play Coach Hernandez is upbeat.

“We got the pitching this year but our bats are talking as well. Last year we could not hit the ball, but this year we have been hitting really well.”

The Pack is now 4-1 and they will compete in the Katella tournament this weekend.

Pack baseball snags 5-2 win

Good pitching from sophomore Jack Noble combined with 13 hits gave the Wolfpack a solid 5-2 win over AB Miller on Tuesday in Claremont. The team put in a much more focused effort coming off their loss last week, which made the all the difference.

The two teams were scoreless for three innings and then both got on the board in the fourth. The break-out for the Pack came in the fifth when they racked up four more runs.

Claremont left a number of players on base in the sixth and seventh, including a controversial double play called after an infield fly rule.

Miller rallied in the seventh, advancing runners to third and second, which led to their final run on a wild pitch. But Claremont put them away with a key strike-out and good fielding.

Sophomore Nathan Rodriguez was literally batting 1000 with three hits for three at bats, including one double. Junior Matt Hohn had two singles for three at bats and came up with some key defensive plays at third base. Jake Gentry had two hits including a triple, while Travis Moffatt’s two hits included a double.

Noble gets the win for pitching all seven innings, giving up six hits while striking out two and walking one.

The Pack is now 2-3, with the Palomares League starting next week.

—Steven Felschundneff

steven@claremont-courier.com