The Fountain Hills High School varsity softball team lost two games last week following spring break and the Gracie Haught Classic Tournament. The Falcons lost 12-6 at home to Eastmark on Tuesday, …
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The Fountain Hills High School varsity softball team lost two games last week following spring break and the Gracie Haught Classic Tournament. The Falcons lost 12-6 at home to Eastmark on Tuesday, March 22, and they lost 8-6 to region opponent Chino Valley last Friday, March 25.
The Falcons started Tuesday’s match by getting two quick outs, but Eastmark scored three runs before their third out. The Falcons wanted to get on the board themselves, but they hit three quick outs and were back on defense.
The Falcons didn’t allow a run in the second inning, and freshman Samantha Hughes made a diving grab to end the inning. The extra effort had an impact on the Falcons’ offense, and they scored all six of their runs in the second inning.
Junior Mia Duda got on base with a single, and then senior Gianna Barker brought her home with a double RBI. After a strikeout, Hughes hit a triple and brought Barker home. Freshman Jordan Marsello hit a single RBI, and Marsello got to third off a sacrifice fly from senior Nicolette Barker.
Sophomore Hailey Chandler brought Marsello home, and Chandler stole second and third while senior Kalista Johnson was at bat. Johnson hit an inside-the-park home run to make it 6-3 in favor of the Falcons, and the inning ended on the next batter.
Eastmark recovered quickly and tied it up at 6-6 by the end of the third inning. The Falcons had three straight outs on offense, and then they struggled to get an out on defense.
The Falcons allowed Eastmark to load the bases in the fourth inning before getting a single out. The Falcons were unable to stop Eastmark from scoring six runs in the inning.
The Falcons played better defense in the last two innings, getting a double play in the fifth and closing that inning quickly, but they could not bounce back on offense.
Nicolette Barker admitted to still feeling fatigued against Eastmark after pitching five full games the weekend before. She did not have a strikeout against Eastmark. The Falcons have one freshman substitute pitcher, but otherwise the task is Nicolette’s alone.
Barker had two strikeouts in last Friday’s game against Chino Valley, compared to the Cougars’ five. The Falcons’ defense allowed Chino Valley to score three runs in two back-to-back innings, and the Falcons’ four-run inning in the fifth wasn’t enough to overcome the Cougars.
Hughes had four of the Falcons’ 11 hits last Friday, and she had two RBIs. Marsello and Gianna Barker also added two RBIs on two hits each. The Falcons’ team on base percentage this season is .406, and they only got on base .343 against Chino Valley. They were struggling to get on base, but the Falcons had seven stolen bases which helped put them in scoring position.
The Falcons hosted region opponent Bourgade Catholic yesterday, Tuesday, March 29. The Falcons have nine more games on the season, and eight of them are region games.
Tomorrow, the Falcons will travel to face Northwest Christian at 3:45 p.m. Next, the Falcons travel to play Wickenburg at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5. The Falcons will host Camp Verde on Friday, April 8, at Fountain Hills Middle School at 3:45 p.m.
