Slumbering Bearcats Wake Up Growling on Senior Appreciation Day

Murray State-bound Karisa Crawford with family members on Senior Recognition Day. The Bearcats were all smiles before and after the game against Diamond Ranch.

Crawford uses every inch of her bat to make contact.

Coming off three consecutive one-run losses, Bonita was locked in another 1-1 ballgame heading into the bottom of the sixth on its home diamond on Thursday. Then it was as if Coach Carlson waved smelling salts under the noses of his players as they suddenly woke up from their three-game slumber to produce one of their biggest offensive outbursts of the year en route to an 8-1 win over the visiting Diamond Ranch Panthers.

Pitcher Chole Wurst, off to West Texas A&M, and family.

In the pivotal sixth, Chloe Wurst got things going with a hard single. Bree Sandoval doubled into the gap, advancing Vanessa Romero, who was running for Wurst, to third. Clarice Spathias then singled sharply to drive in Romero for the 2-1 lead. That might enough, but the Bearcats weren’t finished.

Corrina Liscano singled to drive in Sandoval and moved up to second on the outfield throw to third. After Lizza Liddel fanned, Rebecca Orozco stroked a 2-run single driving in Spathias and Liscano.

Rotating back to the top of the lineup, Jazz Costa laced a single. Jackie Campa followed with an RBI single, putting runners on the corners. Panthers pitcher Brandy Goytia then wild-pitched in a run before walking Karisa Crawford. Campa took third on the wild pitch. The last of the seven-runs came across when Wurst grounded out to second to drive in Campa.

In all, the Bearcats sent 11 batters to the plate. Out of the 11, there were six singles, a double and a walk. Up until the bottom of the sixth, the Bearcats had only five hits. In fact, the Panthers’ Goytia had been shutting down the Bearcats all afternoon, making the keys pitches when she had to.

Third baseman and UCLA-bound Clarice Spathias with her family.

“We’ve been struggling and just squeaking through some games,” Coach Carlson admitted. “We told the girls to keep their heads up, keep fighting through it, keep swinging the bat and it looks like hopefully we broke through it.”

In the top of the sixth, Diamond Bar earned a walk when Bonita catcher Liscano threw down to first although the base was unoccupied. Carlson took the misplay in stride.

“I just said, ‘We’re not awake yet,’” Carlson added.

They certainly woke up in the bottom half of the inning, however.

“We’re struggling mentally,” Carlson said. “These kids are treading territory that they haven’t seen in a long time. You’re out in front, you’ve pretty much won league with everything we’ve done, so now we have to find a new focus to fight on with.”

That shouldn’t be hard with the playoffs just around the corner. Bonita was upset in last year’s first round, so this year’s wake-up call that the fans and players witnessed in the bottom of the sixth on the Thursday may have been just the tonic the patients needed.

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Second baseman Jackie Campa and her family. In the fall, Jackie is headed to San Diego State.