HIGHLANDERS SCRATCH OUT JAGS IN OPENER
- Updated: March 1, 2018
2018 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
By Adam Paul
EastCountySports.com
GOLD AND SILVER CLASSIC
HELIX 5, VALLEY CENTER 4
VALLEY CENTER (2-28-18) – The Helix Highlanders made opening day a memorable one as they were able to take their opening game against the home Jaguars.
In the first inning, the Highlanders would knock in a couple runs when McKenzie Flores (1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR) blasted a 2-run bomb over the right-field fence driving in Erin Brown who had singled to make it 2-0. It was Flores’s first on the young season.
However, the two-run lead wouldn’t last as Valley Center took advantage of some opportunities including a miscue to knot the score at 2-2.
Both teams held serve until the top of the sixth when the Highlanders thanks to a reached fielders choice by Lauralai Patane, a single by Nicole Hernandez and then both would move up via a wild pitch.
A couple of batters later with two down and runners on Kasey Castro (2-3, R, 2 RBI) came to the plate and knocked a single to left which scored both runners. Castro would go all the way to third base after a Valley Center bad throw on the throw to home.
With Castro at third up stepped Zoe Kuhlken (2-3, RBI) who smashed a single scoring Castro.
The Jaguars would pull within a run as they scored in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Sophomore Zoe Kuhlken garnered the complete game victory as she gave up 4 runs of which 3 were earned on 7 hits while fanning 5 Jaguars on the day for the first victory of the season.