BONITA SOFTBALL: BEARCATS SCRATCH OUT 3-1 WIN OVER LOS ALTOS

Led by the hot hitting of third baseman Clarice Spathias and the steady, clutch pitching of Chloe Wurst, the Bonita Bearcats (14-1-1) stretched their undefeated Miramonte League record to 6-0 with a hard-fought 3-1 win over the visiting Los Altos Conquerors.

Los Altos scored in the top of the first on a two-out RBi single by Alyssa Villalpando to drive in Courtney Gano. Gano had led off the game with a double before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lexi Garcia.

Bonita scored its only three runs of the game in the bottom of the second. Wurst led off with a walk followed by a sacrifice bunt single from Corrina Liscano who hustled down the line and jarred the ball loose from first baseman Julie Mendoza’s glove. Spathias then stepped up, stroking a triple into the left-center gap to score both Wurst and Lisacano. Then with one out, Liza Liddel singled home Liscano for the Bearcats’ third run.

Both teams wouldn’t score again but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Bonita wasted Jazz Costa’s lead-off double in the bottom of the third. In the fourth, the Bearcats stranded Spathias and Vanessa Romero at second and third, and in the sixth, Bonita again left runners at second and third without scoring.

Chloe Wurst gave up only one run to a tough Los Altos squad.

On offense, Los Altos was almost as frustrated. In the fifth, the Conquerors loaded the bases with two outs, bringing up their dangerous clean-up hitter Villalpando. Villalpando crushed a liner up the middle that Wurst snared just as she was completing her pitching motion in a “look what I found moment.” Not even Coach Ken Carlson could teach that kind of instant-reaction defense. In the sixth, the Conquerors again hit into tough luck as Justine Zavala lined into a double play started by second baseman Jackie Campa.

For the hot-hitting Spathias, she wishes she were playing Los Altos every game. The third baseman went 3-for-3 the last time the Bearcats faced Los Altos, and the senior performed the hat trick again with her triple and two singles to go along with 2 RBIs.

Before the game, Spathias snacked on Red Devil Pizza, which could start a pre-game ritual and staple for her and the entire team.

Spathias’ 6-for-6 against Los Altos isn’t the only place she’s been perfect. She also carries a 4.4 grade point average and is headed to UCLA in the fall.

Coach Ken Carlson also liked what he saw from Spathias, Wurst and the rest of the the Green and White, despite his team not cashing in on some big scoring opportunities.

“We’re leaving some runners on,” Carlson said, “but we’re working through it. We’ve had a few kids who have probably hit a slump for the first time in their career. But we rely and trust and all of our teammates. It’s not just one or two players carrying this team. We’re hitting in all different kinds of spots, and making great plays when we need them.

In the top of the sixth, with the game still hanging in the balance, first baseman Karisa Crawford dove and caught a sinking liner in foul territory. It was a spectacular play because she had to hesitate as the Conquerors’ first base coach struggled to get out of the way.

Buoyed by the great play, Wurst closed out the contest, keeping her perfect record for the season intact.

Bring on the pizza and the next opponent.

Outstanding players stay at the top of their game all year long by training with Lance at Fitness Results, San Dimas studio at 909.305.0188 or the Upland studio at 909.608.1780.