San Marcos softball rallied late to secure a mercy-rule 16-2 victory over Buena on Friday.
“Offensively we were working really well top to bottom of our lineup,” Royals coach Emily Dietz said. “We adjusted to their pitcher much earlier today and that showed.”
After falling behind 1-0 after the first inning, San Marcos responded with three runs in the second to grab the lead.
They never gave up that lead from there, plating one run in the third and fourth innings before pouring on 11 runs in the fifth to pull away for the mercy.
Jessica Vega led a potent Royals attack by going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored.
Meanwhile, Kayla Aguilar, Solana Sandoval and Emma Foster each collected two hits in the win. Foster scored three times, Sandoval scored twice and Aguilar scored twice while also driving in a pair
Charlotte Hastings, Tiana Monaghan and Caitlyn Early capped off a balanced attack with two RBI apiece.
Kate Guerra and Lucy Dessert combined in the circle to allow just three hits and strike out seven batters. Gianna Mandarino did the catching for all five innings.
“Gianna works so hard for us as catcher and she had a great day defensively, especially in the bottom of the 5th to jump up and throw the runner out at first who laid down an otherwise perfect bunt,” Dietz said.
The Royals are now 14-5 overall and 9-3 against Channel League opponents.
“I’m just so proud of everyone’s contributions and efforts today,” Dietz said. “We have a smaller roster, and everyone has had an opportunity to shine and stand out this season.
“I think that says a lot about the strength of our team and the potential we have as we continue this season into playoffs.”
San Marcos will play host to Rio Mesa on Monday for Senior Day, with ceremonies starting at 3 p.m.
Dos Pueblos 15, Ventura 6
The Chargers had a strong offensive day as well in a lopsided win over the Cougars.
As a team, they accumulated 23 hits with Kacey Hurley, Georgia Wilson, Anastasia Brunner and Brooklyn Hedricks tallying four apiece.
Hedricks added on four RBI while Zella Cassidy drove home a trio of runs.
Despite the final score, the two teams battled to a 2-2 tie after three innings.
Then, the Dos Pueblos bats woke up in a major way, scoring 13 runs over the next three innings to leave Ventura in the dust.
“I’m proud of the output at the plate today, especially with Brooklyn Hedricks who gave us a big lift in the 4th,” Charger coach Mike Gerken said. “Anna Gray’s single and double to lead off the 4th and 5th were really important for us, too.
“We didn’t hit the ball like we thought we could on Wednesday so it was nice to see what we did today.”
Dos Pueblos (11-8, 9-3 Channel League) will host a non-league doubleheader tomorrow against Santa Clara and Newbury Park at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
