Normally a line score that includes the home team scoring 10 runs and holding the visitors to three hits would indicate a blow out.
That wasn’t the case when Sobrato hosted Christopher in a 10-7 affair that featured three homeruns, eight walks, three hit batters and three unearned runs and all of that from one team.
The Bulldogs still came away with timely hitting, as Megan Perron, Marisa Heffernan and Morgan Martinelli all went yard.
“We started off big, with those (three) big home runs. I think the hitters are coming around,” said Sobrato coach Fred Cisneroz. “I think our pitchers struggled a little bit with control. … As they settled down, they found a groove, but the hitting was great today.”
Sobrato had six extra base hits during the day in stark contrast to Christopher who played the waiting game at the plate.
The Cougars had more RBIs than hits, scoring all seven runs with just two base knocks.
“That was part of our plan once we saw the pitcher struggling a little bit. We just wanted to take some pitches and make her work,” said CHS coach Julian Santiago. “The pitchers did have good velocity and they hit their spots pretty good, but our plan was to crowd the plate and make them come into us.”
With the loss, this was the Cougars’ first blemish on the young season, falling to 2-1 overall.
“We did fight back, and that’s what I’m proud of,” Santiago said.
Christopher simply waited out Sobrato’s pitching. The Cougars drew 11 three-ball counts, resulting in eight walks, including one with the bases loaded in the second.
“Once they figured out our pitchers didn’t have control, they took the first two pitches and waited for a strike,” Cisneroz said.
Santiago said against Gonzalez in an extra-inning loss on Tuesday, the Cougars recorded a lot of first-pitch outs and he said it was a point of emphasis in practice on Wednesday and in the game on Thursday.
The Cougars did all their damage between two innings and all coming by being patient at the plate.
After Pati Soria reached on a fielder’s choice in the second, Michaela Decker was hit by a pitch and Nikki Villanueva reached on an error to load the bases.
With two outs, Karli Martinez drew a walk to score Soria and Mackenzie Holt hit a double to score Decker and Villanueva.
That cut Sobrato’s early lead to 4-3 after a first-inning deluge highlighted by Perron’s homer gave the Bulldogs an early advantage.
“That’s what I talked about in the (postgame) huddle here,” Santiago said. “We got down big (and) it was a tough field to play on where the ball just rolls.”
He complimented his bench for staying in the game by cheering throughout the game and not getting down.
In the third inning, Sobrato got a little bit of a cushion when Heffernan and Martinelli went back-to-back to lead off the inning.
All three homers went into deep right field where Sobrato took advantage of the fact it doesn’t have a fence.
Now trailing 6-3 in the fourth, CHS once again proved patience at the plate will pay off.
Holt reached on a one-out error and scored when Morgan England hit a single after Julie Santiago walked.
After Brook Loesch walked to load the bases, Santiago scored on a passed ball.
England scored herself when Soria grounded out to short. England initially froze on the play, but when Loesch took off for third, the throw from first went to second.
In that time, England took off for home, scoring easily and sent Loesch to third.
Loesch scored from third when Villanueva reached on an error to give the Cougars a 7-6 lead.
It was short lived as Sobrato worked a little magic of its own.
Cisneroz said he told his batters to be a little more patient at the plate, let the ball travel and put it in play.
Skylar Millard reached on a walk and stole second. After a flyout to center, Kacey Suess hit an RBI single to score Millard from second.
Sam Torres put Suess on third when she hit a double and Suess went the extra 60 feet on a wild pitch to give Sobrato an 8-7 lead.
Torres, who had advanced to third on the play, scored on a sacrifice fly by Martinelli to give the Bulldogs a 9-7 advantage.
That’s where the game stood until the sixth when Torres led off with a double and scored on a two-out double from Julie Camacho.
Meanwhile, Torres made sure the lead would hold up.
She came in for relief after Perron came out in the third and Suess was out in the fifth.
Torres retired seven of the eight hitters she faced, only giving up a two-out infield single in the seventh.
“I was trying to give her a rest today and go with Megan and Kacey, but I knew they were struggling. It was good to have Sam. She has control and is a veteran,” Cisneroz said.
Suess picked up the win, going two innings, giving up four runs—two earned—on one hit and five walks.
Torres earned the save with two and two-thirds innings pitched, allowing one hit.
Perron started the game, going one out into the third, allowing three runs—two earned— on one hit, three walks and a strikeout.
For Christopher, Holt took the loss, going three and two-thirds, allowing nine runs—eight earned— on nine hits, three walks and striking out two.
Emily Fredricks went the finals two and a third, giving up one run on two hits and a walk.
Julian Santigo said Holt was battling in the circle, but a nagging leg injury proved too much and he was forced to pull her in the fourth.
“She’s usually our No. 1, but she just said her stuff wasn’t working any longer,” Santiago said. “Her leg was hurting a little bit, but she fought through most of the game with a hurt leg.”
