Photograph by Scott Lechner
Futile Flight: Willow Glen's Nicki Garcia lets a pitch go in league action against Valley Christian last Tuesday. Garcia tossed a four-hitter, but she and the Rams lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Warriors.
Tough week for Garcia, Rams
The Presentation girls split a pair of one-run softball decisions
By Dick Sparrer
Softball games just don't get more frustrating than this!
Willow Glen Nicki Garcia pitched well for the Rams last week. Heck, she pitched very well ... well enough to win two games.
Garcia allowed just eight hits and two runs in a pair of games in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
But the senior righthander didn't win the two decisions ... she didn't even get a split.
Because while Garcia was throwing zeroes up on the scoreboard for the opposition, she and her teammates were being held scoreless at the same time.
The result? A pair of 1-0 losses for the Willow Glen Rams.
Willow Glen dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to Valley Christian to open the week, despite a five-hitter by Garcia. The only run of the game was scored in the first, and the Rams couldn't answer back despite getting four hits of their own.
Willow Glen lost a real heartbreaker to Gunderson later in the week. The Rams and Grizzlies matched zeroes for six innings before Gunderson scored a run in the seventh to claim the thrilling 1-0 victory.
Willow Glen slipped to 3-5 in division play with the two losses. Garcia has all of those decisions.
Panthers split
Presentation also played a pair of tight one-run games last week, but the Panthers split to even their record at 3-3 in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL.
The Panthers pulled out a 4-3 win over Westmont to finish the week after opening with a tough 3-2 loss to Leland.
Presentation snapped a 3-3 tie with a run in the seventh, then went on to shut down the Warriors in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the win over Westmont.
Denise Arde flipped a 7-hitter for the mound win, pushing her season mark to 4-0.
Adrian St. Cin singled and doubled to drive in two runs for the Panthers in the win. Alyssa Messier also doubled and singled for Presentation.
The Panthers scored first in the game, rallying for two runs in the first inning. Westmont tied it with two in the third, but Presentation scored again in the fourth. The Warriors tied it once more with a run in the fifth, but the Panthers broke the tie for good with the run in the seventh.
Leland, on the other hand, scored a run in the first and two more in the third on the road to a 3-2 win over Presentation earlier in the week. The Panthers cut the lead to 3-2 on Messier's two-run double in the sixth, but Leland held on for the victory.
Jessica Maynes singled and doubled for the Panthers. Shannon Linerud was stuck with the tough pitching loss, despite firing a seven-hitter.
WG boys fall
The Willow Glen baseball team dropped two games last week, falling 16-9 to Gunderson and 8-1 to Leigh.
Will Rideau belted three, but the Rams dropped a 16-9 nod to Gunderson to open the week. Rideau doubled and singled twice for the Rams, and Mark Arreola tripled home a pair of runs. Bobby Hobbs also doubled for WG, and Gabe Candelaria had two hits.
The Rams held a comfortable 8-4 lead after two innings and led 9-6 after three, but the Grizzlies unloaded for three in the fifth to tie it and seven in the sixth to win the slugfest.
The Rams, 2-9 in the Santa Teresa Division and 4-14 for the year, lost 8-1 to unbeaten Leigh later in the week. The Longhorns top the division standings with an 11-0 record.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
