Heritage can't overcome deficit in 10-7 loss to King

Sydney Farmer, who is batting over .800 this season, connects on a two-run-home run. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

Heritage High’s softball team lost 10-7 in a non-league match-up with M. L. King High Tuesday afternoon.

After throwing two strikeouts and getting a flyout in the first inning, Heritage pitcher Tara Skinner met her first obstacle in the top of the second. Two walks and two singles coupled with a sacrifice fly brought in three runs for the Wolves.

The Patriots answered with a double from Makayla Ansell, who scored two at-bats later thanks to a single from Ayssa Villaruel. But big hitting in the next inning led to six more King runs, making the score 9-1 by the end of three innings, in spite of Heritage catcher Sydney Farmer’s leadoff double to deep right-center field.

“We talked about holding momentum and keeping up intensity,” head coach Raul Olivas said of his conversations with his team during the early innings when King started scoring.

The Patriots were able to hold the Wolves in the fourth due to Skinner’s throwing a strikeout followed by a flyout and groundout, but King continued its rally with one more run in the fifth inning.

Julyssa Gaeta came into the game to lead off for the Patriots in the fifth and singled to right field, which started the momentum Olivas said they were looking for. Following that hit, Farmer, who is batting over .800 on the season, hit a homer to left field.

“Some leader needed to step up and I wanted to do it for my team,” Farmer said of her two-run home run.

“I’ve never seen anybody hit the way she’s hitting right now; she’s owning it,” said Olivas of his catcher.

Heritage was back in the game but still had quite the mountain to climb, being down 10-3. Their next run came when Gabriela Mendez capitalized on another baserunner’s misread sign, stealing home while her teammate was caught stealing second. The next four at-bats were all base hits, leading to three more runs, bringing the score to 10-7 when the sixth inning started.

Skinner, who pitched the entire game, still had gas left in her tank and threw three quick outs, including her sixth strikeout of the game. But even with the setup and momentum given by Skinner, the Patriots weren’t able to bring in any more runs in the game.

Skinner believes this outcome isn’t without a lesson.

“I think it shows that we can come back,” Skinner said. “There are going to be times when we’re down by a lot. It’s going to happen more than just this once, but it shows we can come back no matter what.”

As a senior on the team, Farmer thinks aggression is the key to her team turning games like this one around in the future.

“We need to get in there and not be scared,” said Farmer. “We are playing against big girls, I get it, but we all play softball, it’s all the same game. There’s no need to be scared… We’re going to work hard and we’re going to get there."

The Patriots face Cajon at home Thursday afternoon at 3:15 in another non-league matchup.

Heritage third baseman Marilu Mendez puts the tag on a King baserunner Tuesday. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Tara Skinner pitched the entire game for Heritage, striking out six batters. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Abbiegail Barron makes a running catch in the outfield for the Patriots. (Photo by Rick Rowell)