Fatigued Eagles falter, 9-0

Chris Yemma

After battling through nine innings against Saddleback Valley

Christian High, the Estancia softball team walked about 20 steps to

the adjacent field, with no down time, and played six more innings.

It could be safe to say that fatigue might have been a factor in

the Eagles’ 9-0 mercy-rule loss to La Quinta in the seventh-place

game of the Costa Mesa tournament Saturday at TeWinkle Park.

The Eagles (3-3), who defeated La Quinta, 14-0, in the same

tournament last week, did not resemble the team that took Saddleback

Valley Christian to nine innings in the first game.

“This game (against La Quinta) right here was no indication of our

overall performance in the tournament,” Estancia Coach Alan Caouette

said. “I think we played really well [in the tournament]. We played a

couple tough games, learned a lot about our girls and I think we’ve

got a pretty talented team.”

In the 7-3 loss Saddleback Valley, starting pitcher Muriel Mason,

an all-tournament selection, was on pace for a shutout through six

inning, during which she scattered eight hits.

But the Warriors pieced together a five-run ninth inning for the

eventual win.

Senior Taylor West, also named to the all-tournament team, was 2

for 3 against the Warriors with one triple.

Against La Quinta, Estancia gave up four runs in the third inning

and four in the sixth before the game was called.

Janet Magana went 1 for 3, while Lina You was 1 for 2 and Allison

Wyman was 1 for 1 for the Eagles.

But Estancia was affected by something out of its control.

“Both my starting pitchers had strep throat, so they were sick all

week,” Caouette said. “And they were probably running around 60%, so

I think they got tired. Defensively, we were fine. It was mainly the

pitching.”

La Quinta sophomore pitcher Anny Ho, however, was not feeling

under the weather. She pitched six innings, allowing just three hits

to get the win.

The Aztecs only had a one-run lead after the first inning and

Estancia held them scoreless in the second. But La Quinta compiled

four hits in the fourth to take a comfortable 5-0 lead.

The Aztecs’ Keisha Mattinson and Sheila Nghe were both 2 for 4

with two RBIs.

Costa Mesa tournament

Seventh-place game

La Quinta 9,

Estancia 0

Score by Innings

*--*

Estancia 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 3

La Quinta 1 0 4 0 0 4 - 9 13 0

*--*

Flores and Ockey; Ho and Porras. W -- Ho. L -- Flores. 2B -- Pena

(LQ).