Roundup: Valencia offense shines in win over Hart; West Ranch fends off Castaic comeback
Saugus High junior Amelia Johnson put the Centurions softball team on her back on Tuesday to keep its perfect Foothill League season alive.
The catcher hit two home runs at Canyon High School on Tuesday, the second a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning that turned out to be the game-winning hit.
“I knew I had one job to complete, and I knew Savannah (Smith) got on second and, I mean, whenever she gets on base, my main goal is to hit her in,” Johnson said. “So, I just went in there with that mindset and succeeded.”
Saugus (18-4, 7-0) took down the hosting Canyon Cowboys (8-9, 3-3), 5-4, in a game that went back and forth and firmly put the Centurions in the driver’s seat to take the Foothill League title. The Centurions need just three more wins to secure at least a share of the title, with five games left on their league schedule.
Johnson’s first home run came in the top of the third inning to break a scoreless tie. It was also a two-run homer, after Smith got on with a single, and they were the first runs that Canyon senior Jessica Carr had given up in five games.
“Credit to her, she’s an amazing pitcher,” Johnson said. “But if I see one pitch I think I can drive, I’m just gonna go after it, and if it happens to be a home run, then thank goodness … But I normally try to go in with a confident mindset, a mindset that ‘I can do this.’”
The Cowboys quickly tied things up in the bottom of the frame. Junior Karina Montero drove in sophomore Maci Dunangan with a double before Montero came around to score when senior Isabella Heasley reached on an error.
Heasley gave the Cowboys their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth, hitting a two-out, two-run double. That came after Saugus sophomore Riley Bennett had put Saugus on top with a single in the fourth inning.
Carr was able to get out of a slight jam in the sixth inning to keep Canyon in front, but the resilient Centurions found a way to win with their backs against the wall.
It’s not the first time this season they’ve done that, either. Saugus beat West Ranch in eight innings early in the campaign, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh before winning on a walk-off in the eighth.
“I think all of our girls truly believe that we’re never out of a game, no matter what the score is, no matter what inning it is,” said Saugus head coach Kyle Mark. “So, we just have to keep playing.”
Mark made the decision to pull his starting pitcher, junior Taliya Mata, after five innings, bringing in junior Kona Ramsbottom. Mata struck out eight and allowed one earned run on five hits.
The move proved to be the right one, as Ramsbottom allowed just one hit and kept Canyon off the board in her two innings of work, and against the middle of the Canyon lineup in the bottom of the seventh.
“We’ve been using Kona a lot more out of the bullpen this year, so we just feel that she’s very comfortable in those tight situations, those close moments where we need to go in and get some outs quickly,” Mark said. “Kona seems to be able to go out and do that and do that consistently. She’s really thrived in that role, and we’re lucky to have her.”
Smith led the Centurions with three hits, including two doubles. Bennett had two hits.
Carr struck out five and allowed five runs on 10 hits in a complete-game performance. Heasley led the Cowboys with three hits.
Canyon is set to host West Ranch on Thursday, while Saugus can pull one step closer to the league title with a win on the road at Valencia on Thursday.
Here’s what else happened in Tuesday’s Foothill League softball action:
Valencia 10, Hart 1: The Valencia Vikings (9-5, 5-2) used a five-run fifth inning on Tuesday at home to move toward a 10-1 victory over the Hart Hawks (5-12, 2-4).
Sydney Bolder led the Vikings with three hits while Aubrie Jensen had two hits, including a double. Each of them scored once and drove in one run.
Blair Rune doubles and drove in two runs. Victoria Tejeda scored twice.
Carly Kearns tossed a complete game and struck out 12 Hawks while allowing just four hits.
West Ranch 8, Castaic 6: The West Ranch Wildcats (7-12, 4-2) kept the Castaic Coyotes (7-9, 1-5) from completing their comeback attempt, winning on the road, 8-6.
Castaic put up three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning after West Ranch scored four in the top of the frame to blow the game open.
Payton Borland and Isabella Swanson each drove in two runs for West Ranch. Borland and Madison Meister each scored twice. Swanson and Ava Esparza had a double each, and Torrey Price had a triple.
Tatum McAfee, Alexis Steen and Lulu Smith each had two hits on the day for Castaic. Smith, Steen and Emma French each had a double. Kate Eppenbaugh drove in two runs.
