Cougars’ Gonzalez Provides Big Bop
- Updated: March 22, 2024
2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
By Adam Paul
BRAWLEY – Making the long trek down to the valley is always a tough thing to do but the Steele Canyon Cougars overcame the long drive as Marina Gonzalez with the score tied 3-3 in the top of the eighth inning blasted a one-out two-run blast that ended up being the difference as they held onto beating the Brawley Wildcats 5-4 Friday night in Falcon Fiesta action.
Before the extra inning excitement, the Cougars would score first in the top of the third inning thanks to Kayala Hopkins (1-4, 2B) as she doubled in Kallan Shaw (2-4, R) to lead 1-0.
Steele Canyon would extend their lead an inning later on a two-run double by Tevia Cohen (1-2, 2 RBI, 2B, SB) that allowed both Dannika Lakin (RUN) and Isabella Azevedo (1-4, R) to score making it 3-0.
However, the home team Wildcats wouldn’t go down so easily as they would tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Maliyah Jackson drove in a run on a ground out and Isabella Yescas and Tamara Carranza both doubled in runs.
Neither team would put up any runs in the next couple of innings which sent the game into extras.
Bonus ball it was which is where the excitement roared its head starting with the Cougars and Isabella Gonzalez being out on second base as the international tiebreaker rules came into play.
Gonzalez would advance to third base as Kamea Seunarine laid down a sacrifice and was thrown out at first base.
With Gonzalez at third base and one out up stepped Marina Gonzalez (1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR) who took the 1-0 pitch got a hold of the offering, and crushed it into the night sky deep over the left field fence for the no doubt two-run home run of which was her fourth of the season and more importantly the 5-3 lead. It was also her only hit of the game.
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The extra run by the Cougars on the home run would be an important one as Brawley would score in the bottom of the eighth inning on a ground out scoring Carranza who had been put on second and advanced to third on a ground out.
That would be all the Cougars would allow as Bailey Evans was able to get the last out via groundout.
Steele Canyon now moves to 8-3-1.
