Santa Rosa batters Casa girls with big start

Santa Rosa’s softball team pushed across nine runs in the first inning and went on to defeat Casa Grande, 14-2.|

Santa Rosa pushed across nine runs in the first inning and went on to rout the Casa Grande Lady Gauchos, 14-2, and even the season series between the North Bay League softball foes on a wind-blown Tuesday afternoon. The visiting Panthers turned their lineup over to drive Lady Gaucho starter Kalia Aiwohi from the game before the side was retired.

Freshman reliever Katie Machado calmed things down a bit for the rest of the game, allowing four runs in the final four frames, but the damage had been done. Four errors by the host Casa girls made opportunities even greater for the Panthers.

Machado settled in to shut out Santa Rosa in the final two frames, but Casa could not piece together a rally to cut into the big lead.

Morgan Begley was the pitcher of record for Santa Rosa as she picked up her fourth victory of the season. Begley also helped herself with the bat by lacing a run-scoring double in the first inning and a no-doubt blast over the left-field fence in the top of the third. The homer by Begley cleared the fence by plenty, leaving the Lady Gaucho left fielder no reason to chase it down.

The biggest threat for Casa Grande came in the bottom of the third inning after back-to-back singles by Christina Wilson and Alauna Rico. Consecutive walks capped by a bases-loaded walk to first baseman Brooklynne Hale forced in the first Gaucho run.

Gaucho second baseman Madison Kenyon then drove a hard ground ball into right field between first and second base to knock in another run. Kenyon wound up as the only Casa batter to knock in a run as the rally was snuffed by a Begley-induced strikeout.

Begley struck out four batters overall, and the Panthers earned their first NBL win of the season, improving to 4-9.

Casa Grande defeated the Panthers, 15-8, in the first NBL meeting between the two teams in late March.

Rico had two hits and scored a run for Casa Grande. The left-handed-hitting center fielder carried a .400 average going into the contest, and lifted her batting average with a team-best 18 base hits.

Freshman Emily Abel had the sharpest-hit ball for the Gauchos when she doubled to right-center field to open the bottom of the fourth inning. Casa Grande, 2-6 in league and 5-9 for the year, finished with only two hits.

Senior Brianna Ririe led the Lady Panthers with three hits. Ririe was hitting a lusty .419 prior to the game. Santa Rosa had 16 hits in the contest.

The game was called after a scoreless fifth inning by the Lady Gauchos on the NBL 10-run rule. The loss was the sixth in succession for the home-standing Gauchos.

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