Henry’s Will stifles No. 1 Nighthawks
- Updated: March 29, 2024
2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
By Adam Paul
4-S RANCH – Sophomore Belle Will went all out as she stifled the Del Norte Nighthawks as Patrick Henry would come away with the 2-1 victory Friday (Mar. 29) evening in non-league action.
Del Norte who came into the contest ranked #1 in the current week’s Union-Tribune media/coaches poll averaging almost 6 runs a contest struggled as they were limited to two hits and one run.
Will who picked up the complete game victory for Patrick Henry limited the powerful Nighthawk offense to two hits and one run while walking two and striking out two.
Offensively, the Patriots were able to help out the efforts of Will (2-4) in the top of the fifth inning when Leila Ludwig (2-4, RBI) with two outs drove in McKenna Gieger (1-2, R, SB) who had walked earlier to make it 1-0. Patrick Henry would add an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning once again with two outs on a Sophia Sanchez hit ball misplayed by the second baseman allowing Brooke Taylor to come in and score.
The Nighthawks would finally break through with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and score to pull within 2-1 but Will would retire the next batter to end the game.
Will with the win improved her overall pitching record on the season to 7-0.
Patrick Henry with big win moves to 8-6 and has won two in a row while Del Norte suffers their first defeat of the season with a record of 12-1 and sees their twelve-game winning streak snapped.
SAGE CREEK 4, WEST HILLS 2 (5 inn., time limit) – It just wasn’t in the cards offensively for West Hills despite matching the Sage Creek Bobcats in hitting with 7 hits apiece as they could only muster a pair of runs in the tournament loss Friday.
Before West Hills could get on the board in the top of the fourth inning they were already facing a 3-0 deficit.
Kristina Deal (2-3, R, RBI, HR) would put the first run on the board for West Hills as she belted a solo shot deep over the center field fence for her second home run of the season and pulled them within 3-1. The Pack would answer with another run in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Kiera Allen (1-2, RBI) who with two outs would drive in Faith Balestreri (2-3, R, 2B) to make it 3-2.
Ava Goodman who started for West Hills would be saddled with the loss as she gave up 4 runs of which 3 were earned on 7 hits while striking out 6. With the loss Goodman’s record is now 5-5.
West Hills is now 5-6-1 on the season and will now face Clairemont weather permitting Saturday morning in San Diego Coastal Classic tournament action.
The game was a Cougar Classic tournament make-up game, thus, thus, was limited to a 2-hour time limit.
