Momentum carried the ball across the outfield grass and up against the fence at West Ranch High.
After Kennedi Sorensen’s scorched RBI single delivered an 8-7 walk-off win over Golden Valley on Thursday, the Wildcats are hoping to ride the week’s momentum a lot further.
The bases-loaded liner in the eighth inning drove in Makenna Harper and concluded a three-game stretch of relentless offense, two wins and a confidence-building loss.
“We feel we’re peaking at the right time,” said West Ranch coach Jay Creps, whose team overcame a 10-run deficit to beat Saugus on Tuesday and narrowly lost to powerhouse Mater Dei of Santa Ana Wednesday. “… The next couple weeks will be tough for us, but so what? So what? The whole season’s been tough for us.”
Thursday was no exception.
West Ranch (10-13 overall, 3-3 in Foothill League) led 7-2 entering the sixth inning, but Golden Valley (12-9, 3-3) scored five runs off pitchers Harper and Jenna Rorick in the marathon frame.
Golden Valley’s Nicole Smart and Vanessa Felix started the rally with consecutive singles. Three straight walks and a Cassidy Cangemi single capped the outburst.
No one scored again until the bottom of the eighth.
With one out, Harper shot a double the other way to left. Then Cangemi walked Jaclyn Napoli, and Kalei Sorensen lifted a single to center to load the bases for her twin.
“I just didn’t want to strike out,” Kennedi Sorensen said. “I just wanted to come in clutch.”
Kennedi turned on what she described as an inside screwball and sent the Wildcats home with their third win in their last four Foothill League games.
West Ranch entered the day one game back of Golden Valley and Saugus in league standings.
“We’re coming together as a team a lot more,” said Kennedi, who tallied three hits in all. “… We all get it now.”
Napoli finished 3-for-4, while Kalei Sorensen was 2-for-4.
Smart was 2-for-4 for Golden Valley, while Cangemi went 2-for-3 and pitched a complete game.
Harper struck out nine for West Ranch. Rorick struck out five.
Valencia 7, Hart 2
After five straight shutouts to open league, Shea O’Leary surrendered two runs (one earned), and struck out six. Aly Kaneshiro and Kylie Norwood had two hits each for Hart (12-11, 1-5). Ally Shipman homered for Valencia (18-7, 6-0).
Canyon 13, Saugus 3
The Cowboys (11-11-1, 2-4) took down the Centurions (13-11, 3-3) in five innings at the Hart complex Thursday night. Stats weren’t immediately available.
