Gonzalez knocks Patriots into championship game
- Updated: May 27, 2016
2016 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
By Adam Paul
© EastCountySports.com
POWAY – Late inning heroics propel the No. 1 seed Patrick Henry Patriots to a 10-9 victory over the No. 3 seeded Carlsbad Lancers in the CIF San Diego Section Division I championship, Thursday (May 26) up at the Poway Sportsplex.
The Lancers got on the board first by pushing across a couple of runs in the top of the first to lead 2-0 early on.
However it didn’t last as the Patriots answered with offense of their own.
Leadoff hitter HANNAH MCEWEN (1-3, RBI, 2 R) was hit by a pitch, ANYA VANDERSIP (2-4) singled, CRISTIONA CACCAMISE (1-4, RBI, 2 R, 2B) reached on a fielders choice with Vandersip out at second, ANDREA WRIGHT (3-4, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2B) doubled scoring McEwen, SAVANNAH CHAPMAN (2-4, RBI) reached on a fielders choice to score Caccamise and JOSIE GONZALEZ (2-4, RBI) knocked in Wright on a single to give the Patriots a 3-2 lead.
Carlsbad in the top of the third inning retook the lead with a couple of runs to make the score 4-3.
The lead changed again in the bottom of the third when Wright bombed a 2-run jack scoring her and DANI ROMERO (3-4, RBI, 2 R, 2 2B) who singled. The Patriots now led 5-4.
The seesaw battle continued as the Lancers pushed across three more runs in the top of the fourth to now lead 7-5.
The lead changed hands again in the bottom of the fourth as the Patriots scored three more runs to retake the lead at 8-7.
Leading things off for the Patriots, CASSIE VAN TIL (1-3, R, 2B) smoked a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came in on the base knock by McEwen, she would steal second, advance to third on the groundout by Vandersip, and score on the double by Caccamise, Romero followed that double with a double of her own to score Caccamise, which was the go ahead run.
Carlsbad would score a couple more runs in the contest. They would score a run in the top of the fifth and also a run in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 lead.
Patrick Henry players celebrate a walkoff win in the San Diego CIF Division I semifinals on Thursday at Poway Sportsplex.
So facing their final outs the Patriots needed to get something going.
Leadoff hitter Romero started it off with a bang as she doubled, MAGGIE ZIMMERLY came into run, Wright singled and Zimmerly came into score when an error was committed to knot the score at 9-9. ALEXIS SNODGRASS came into run for Wright. The Patrick Henry faithful went crazy.
Up stepped Chapman who looked to get something done, she followed with a single, and it was up to Gonzalez, who proceeded to lace what would be the game-winning single that scored Snodgrass to give the Patriots a 10-9 victory.
LAILA SPRACKLEN in the victory tossed 7 innings giving up 9 runs of which 6 were earned on 15 hits, walked 2 and struck out 1 on the day.
