Valencia Finishes 11th at Michelle Carew Classic
Game 1: Valencia Defeats Cypress 7-2
Lani Bernardino and Lauren Boser led the Vikings to victory. Bernardino was 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs and was also on base 5 for 5 times to include 2 HBP. Boser was 2 for 2 with a solo home run. Bethany Kemp also had an RBI and hit a triple. Valencia was held scoreless until the 2nd inning when Boser led off with a walk. Kemp then delivered with an RBI triple to right field to put the Vikings on the board. Garza beat out an infield ground ball to put 2 runners on base and then she stole 2nd before Bernardino ripped a shot to right field for 2 RBIs. Foglesong reached base on a fielder’s choice but ran all the way to 3rd off a double by Spigner. An error by the 2nd baseman allowed Foglesong to score.
Going into the 3th inning, the Vikings held a comfortable 4-0 lead, but Boser led off the inning with a monster hit to right center for her 2nd homerun of the season. Kemp and Foglesong followed with singles up the middle but Cypress was able to hold Valencia to just one. 2 more runs scored in the 4th with some help from the Cypress defense, which brought the score to 7. Cypress rallied for 2 runs in the bottom of the 4th to close the gap but it would not be enough. Boser singled once more in the 6th and Caitlin Rooney doubled but neither would score. Bernardino singled again in the 7th but was left on base after back to back ground balls to the shortstop.
Final score 7-2. Spigner picked up her 14th win of the season and struck out 6.
Game 2: Valencia is Defeated by El Camino 6-1
For 6 complete innings, the Vikings battled El Camino. After Jessica Spigner gave up a lead-off home run to El Camino in the 1st, she settled down and held the Wildcats scoreless until the 7th inning. In the bottom of the 1st, Megan Foglesong smoked a triple down the left field line but she was unable to score. Alyssa Garza singled in the 3rd and 2 more Valencia players walked, but they left the bases loaded and El Camino was able to get out of a jam to keep the lead at 1-0.
In the bottom of the 5th, Lani Bernardino led off with a walk and was moved to 2nd base by a sacrifice bunt from Foglesong. With Bernardino in scoring position and the El Camino outfield playing deliberate deep defense, Spigner hit a BOMB to the center fielder, who made a brilliant over the shoulder catch on the run, for the only RBI of the game. Because of her deep position, Bernardino tagged up at 2nd and ran home to score, to tie the game. In top of the 6th, El Camino threatened again with a two out triple that the girl tried to stretch to a home run. The ball was hit past the reach of Bernardino but she managed to chase it down and throw a perfect throw to Shipman, who then turned and drilled a laser to Moore at the plate for an uncontested tag.
Unfortunately, in the top of the 7th inning, Spigner twisted her ankle after stepping into a hole on the first pitch, which took her to the ground. Clearly, it rattled the Vikings and the infield went on to make 4 uncharacteristic errors, coupled with 2 base hits, bringing the damage to 5 runs in the final frame. The Vikings went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 7th. Certainly, they had their chances for more runs, stranding 8 runners on base. However, El Camino capitalized on Valencia’s mistakes and was the better team that night. Final score 6-1.
Game 3: Valencia Defeats El Toro 4-3
At the Nike Faster to First tournament, El Toro gave Valencia its first loss of the season by beating the Vikings 1-0. However, at Michelle Carew, it was a grudge match and both teams battled. El Toro struck the first blow off a single to left field which was misplayed allowing the runner to score. Valencia came right back in the top of the 4th inning when Jessica Spigner drove a ball to the gap in left center for a solo shot and painfully ran the bases to tie it up 1-1. Then in the 6th, Spigner reached base on a walk and Madison Shipman pushed 9-11 and hit a 2 run home run shot to right center to bring the score to 3-1. Top of 7, Alyssa Garza battled for a single up the middle with 1 out. She then stole 2nd base and advanced to 3rd base on a passed ball. With 1 out, Lani Bernardino launched a ball deep to center for a sac fly RBI, scoring Garza who tagged on the play.
For 6 innings on defense, the Vikings played tough. Spigner took a 1 hitter and 7 strike outs in to the 7th inning. The powerful El Toro hit 4 singles for 2 more runs, but with the bases packed, Spigner forced the batter to pop up to shortstop off a change up and end the game in victory. The game was a real battle and both sides fought hard.
Game 4: Valencia is Defeated by Yucaipa 6-5
Valencia struck first in the bottom of the 1st inning after Megan Foglesong walked and stole 2nd. Jessica Spigner hit an off-speed pitch up the middle for the game’s first run. Bethany Kemp led off the 2nd inning with a base hit but she was caught stealing, followed by 2 Valencia strike outs. In the top of the 3rd, Lani Bernardino and Spigner each hit singles, but 3 more strike outs prevented a run from scoring. In the bottom half of the 3rd, with 1 out, Spigner gave up a solo home run, which was followed by a walk, a double, and a single with a throwing error, to put Yucaipa up 3-1.
In the bottom of the 4th, Lauren Boser led off the inning with a double and after 2 strike outs, she was still standing on 2nd. However, a clutch RBI double down the line by Caitlin Rooney brought the Vikings within 1. Unfortunately, a 3rd K in the inning left Rooney at 2nd. Yucaipa continued to put pressure on the Vikings defense and 2 errors with 2 outs cost the Vikings 2 more runs, both unearned. The score was 5-2. In the bottom of the 5th with 2 outs, Spigner continued to fight with her 3rd hit of the game, this time she drilled a solo shot over the fence in left field to bring the tally to 5-3. Yucaipa went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 6th, but the Vikings left the bases loaded after a single by Boser and 2 walks, and failed to score in the bottom half of the inning.
For some insurance, Yucaipa hit the first pitch of the 7th inning over the left center field fence but that would be all for the inning. With the score 6-3, Foglesong led off with a single, but Spigner’s hit to left field was caught. Boser clutched up and hit a 2-run dinger over the right center field fence to bring the Vikings within 1. Kemp then singled and ran all the way to 3rd off a deep single by Moore. The thought to send Kemp home was there but the throw may have beat her. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Rooney had 2 balls and drilled a shot to the 2nd baseman for out number 3. Although the Vikings came out flat and Spigner was clearly ailing from her ankle injury, the girls showed a lot of heart to fight until the last out. Valencia stranded 9 runners on base, often on 1 of their 10 strike outs. Spigner was able to strike out 6, but she gave up 3 earned runs and the girls made a couple of costly errors.
Game #5: Valencia Defeats Sonora 7-0
The game was scoreless until the top of the 4th inning. Jessica Spigner led off the inning with a single but on the fielder’s choice from Madison Shipman, she was out at 2nd. Lauren Boser then singled to left and Kemp walked to bring up the hot Caitlin Rooney. She induced a bases loaded walk for the games first RBI, to score Shipman. Boser was thrown out at home to give the Vikings 2 outs, but Garza delivered a big time 2 RBI single to bring the score to 3. Lani Bernardino jacked her first home run of the season, a high flyer over the right fielder, for a 3 RBI shot. Spigner led off the 5th inning with a triple but she would not score. Then in the 7th inning, with 2 outs, Shannon Fitzgerald was brought in to pinch hit for Lauren Boser. On the first offering, she got all ball and clobbered it deep over the left fielder’s head for her first home run of the season and the first of her varsity career.
Shannon Fitzgerald hits a homerun.
Spigner managed to finish the game from the mound, striking out only 5, but the Vikings settled down and played stellar defense, including a beautiful relay play in the bottom of the 7th to preserve the shut out. The lead-off batter for Sonora hit a ball to right center that Bernardino chased down and threw a bee-bee to Shipman, who then fired home for the tag out by Amy Moore. The Vikings finished up the tournament a little battered and bruised, with a record of 3-2. The girls played some great teams and learned more about what they need to do to finish and to fight until the last out.
The Vikings will next take on cross-town rival Hart for their 3rd league contest at Valencia High School on Tuesday, 4/15 at 3:15 pm.
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