Bonita Girls Upset in Semi-Finals of San Dimas Tournament

Chloe Wurst fires in a fastball during the first inning against Glendora.

Wearing a big No. 1 ranking on its back, the Bonita varsity softball team couldn’t overcome an upset-minded Glendora team, which scored two quick runs in the first inning and another pair in the third en route to a 5-2 victory over the Bearcats (7-1).

Glendora’s Kristen Petersen led off the first with a sharp single and came around to score on a triple to left field by Audrie Becerra. Natlie Hernandez then laced a single to center to cash Becera to help Glendora jump to an early 2-0 lead. After giving up a sacrifice to Kendla Hernandez, Bonita pitcher Chloe Wurst found her command and struck out the next two batters.

Bonita answered right back in the bottom half of the inning on a leadoff triple by senior Jackie Campa and an RBI single by freshman Jazzman Costa.

While Glendora went quietly in the second, Bonita threatened forto even the score. With two outs, Vanessa Romero got aboard on an error and then Liza Liddel shot an opposite field single into left field, putting runners on first and second. Glendora pitcher Carly Argyle, however, got Campa to ground to first after jamming her with an inside fastball.

In the top of the third, Glendora scored two more runs, with a little help from Bonita. Petersen led off with a liner over the head of first baseman Karisa Crawford, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Becerra struck out, Hernandez beat out an infield single, with Petersen coming all the way around to score on an errant throw. After a single by Katrina Brandt put runners on the corners for Glendora, Bonita tried to pick off Hernandez from third, but when another throw got away, Hernandez scored easily to make the score 4-1.

In the bottom half of the inning, Bonita got only one run despite collecting two singles, a double and getting aboard on an error. After Clarice Spathias landed on second after a one-out error, Corrina Liscano doubled her home, but Liscano was cut down at third trying to leg out a triple. Romero and Liddel both singled, but Campa lined out to first to end the threat.

“That was on me,” said Bonita Coach Ken Carlson, who had waved Liscano to third. I knew their outfield was inexperienced so I wanted to see if I could press them a little bit, but that was all on me.

“It was a gamble, we lost that one.”

Glendora tacked on another run in the fourth, and the game was called after five innings due to time. Bonita finished with six hits and stranded seven runners. Glendora collected eight hits.

“Our kids have been playing tremendous ball,” said Bonita coach Ken Carlson. “Unlike most of these teams, we’ve been playing since last Friday with one day rest. With two pitchers on our staff already logging eight games in, it’s a lot of work.

“We knew we had a challenge with Glendora. Typically, they don’t play as many games early in the season as we do. It was a tough day.”

For really the first time all season, Bonita lacked the timely hit and uncharacteristically had a couple of throwing errors.

“We helped them along the way a little bit,” Carlson said.

After being a perfect 7-0 and enjoying the No. 1 ranking in the valley, Bonita had to deal with its first season loss.

“Ironically, we’re in the same place we were last year,” Carlson said. “We’re 7-1, and we lost to the same team, so that kind of hurts.

“We’re going to bounce back from this. We’ll have the opportunity to see them again in the CIF playoffs.

And as far as playing with that big No. 1 target on its back.

“People obviously want to dethrone you from that,” Carlson said.

Now, fans will be watching to see how hungry Bonita os to regain that throne in the weeks ahead.