Guigliano shuts out opposition in Liberty's softball win
Yasmine Lopez drives a pitch to the outfield for a single, bringing in the decisive run. (Photo by Rick Rowell) By Doug Spoon, Editor Base...
By Doug Spoon, Editor
Bases loaded, no outs … no problem.
That’s how things turned out for Liberty High pitcher Janessa Guigliano, who walked the bases loaded to start Tuesday’s CIF Division 5 playoff game against visiting Viewpoint. The sophomore fought back to strike out the next three batters, and the Bison went on to score a 10-0 victory.
Liberty scored three runs in the first inning, two in the second, four in the third and one in the fifth to close out the game on the mercy rule. The Bison pounded out 11 hits to improve their season record to 19-3-1. They will play at Paraclete High in Lancaster in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
“I don’t think I was warmed up enough and the nerves got to me a little bit, but it was OK,” Guigliano said about the first inning. “I was thinking, ‘Just breathe.’ I have my girls behind me, so I knew it was OK.”
Guigliano didn’t give up another baserunner until the third inning, when she surrendered a single to Carly Nelson and walked Emjay Peck. Again, she bounced back by retiring the next three batters on a flyout, strikeout and flyout. She then retired another six consecutive batters the rest of the way to record the victory.
Meanwhile, Liberty took a 3-0 lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Leadoff batter Emma Campos walked and Attiana Thompson reached base on an error by the shortstop. Kaylee Fraund then hit a fly ball that the right fielder dropped, allowing a run to score. A second run scored on a groundout by Haley Kitzerow. Then a ground ball by Lissette Quinones was muffed by the shortstop, allowing the third run to score.
Liberty scored four runs in the third, when a hit batter, single by Brooklyn Abeyta, walk to Yasmine Lopez and single by Kayen Brown was followed by two Viewpoint errors that made it 9-0. The winning run scored in the fifth when Abeyta doubled and scored on a single by Lopez.
Abeyta, Lopez and Brown – the bottom of the Bison’s batting order – each had two hits.
“The nice thing about this lineup is they can all hit,” said coach Jeffrey Pena. “We have a great bench, too. It’s kind of like a pick your poison type thing. It’s a good problem to have.”
It’s been a fun season for the Bison and Pena, who has watched a team with no seniors roll through the season with great success. Pena said he didn’t know if the team would dominate the way it has, but he knew the potential was there.
“I didn’t really know,” he said. “We had a great freshman class coming in. We had a great group coming back from last year. It’s been a fun ride.”
