PINOLE, Calif. – Alhambra (16-4) received a dominant performance from Allison Patrick on the mound, and the offense exploded for seven runs in the sixth to fuel a 9-0 victory at Pinole Valley (10-3) on Saturday. The top of the Bulldogs’ order provided plenty of punch, as the first four batters – Kennedy Gustin, Kira Nilson, Justine Delacruz-Carranza, and Isabela Emerling – combined to go 8-for-15 with seven runs and eight RBI, a double, and a home run.
“It was our fourth time through the lineup and our girls made the adjustments,” Alhambra coach Adam McLane said. “They put it all together that inning. We started laying off that outside curveball that we were swinging at early in the game.”
Patrick (8-3, 3.05), meanwhile, allowed just two hits, walked none, and struck out eight in a complete game that otherwise was only marred by three hit-by-pitches. The senior hurler had five strikeouts and held the Spartans hitless the first time through the lineup. Pinole Valley didn’t help itself with three errors and a baserunning blunder.
“I trust my spin and movement a lot,” Patrick remarked. “I get a feel for what’s working and utilize that in the game.”
Spartans’ pitcher Kailani Tatro, who entered the game with a sub-2.00 ERA and nine wins, coasted through most of the first five. She gave up two hits to start the contest, with the first batter scoring on sac fly, but settled down thereafter, with the second run occurring on an outfielder’s error.
After Kyomi Apalit started the sixth with a single, pinch hitter Shannon Smith hit a squib on the left side and beat it out for an infield single. Tatro struck out the next two, but after walking Maya Lieb, gave up consecutive hits to the aforementioned quartet, including a double in the gap by Delacruz-Carranza and a resounding homer to left by Emerling.
“They hung with a really good team,” Pinole Valley coach Jason Tatro stated. “We had that one inning where they fell apart. But we didn’t hit either.”
Alhambra wraps up its season this week with games against Northgate, Granada, and Benicia. Pinole Valley plays Monte Vista on Monday, then will have only league games left that stretch to May 19th. There will be no NCS playoffs this season.
“I feel bad for our seniors because this is the second year in a row we haven’t been able to have playoffs,” McLane added. “That’s the only disappointing part for them. (But) even without the playoffs we know where we stand.”
“They’re just happy to be playing,” Tatro said of his team. “We were going to have a strong season last year. Everyone’s had good spirits and been ready to go.”
Patrick spoke about returning to action in 2021 after 2020 was washed away early in the campaign because of COVID.
“It was like going from zero to a hundred really fast," she said. "I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. But my team...held each other accountable and supported each other. I was just happy to get out of the house.”
