Atascadero's softball team got bigger hits Tuesday - in timeliness and distance - than Pioneer Valley's did.

That's what the bottom line boiled down to as the visiting Greyhounds beat the Panthers 3-0 in a PAC-7 League game at Pioneer Valley.

Mary Henderson smacked one big hit for the Greyhounds - a triple in the fifth inning. Jessica Bell rapped another - a double in the sixth.

They were big in terms of distance. They were also big because they came with no outs. Henderson scored when she beat the throw home on Lindsey Walker's ground ball. Bell also beat a throw home, after a putout on Stephanie Vallaire's sacrifice bunt.

Keryn Kerns delivered a two-out single that scored Jessica Richardson from second base in the third inning with the first run of the game.

The team that got the big hits earned a big win. Atascadero moved to 6-3, 13-7-1. The Greyhounds stayed a game behind first-place Arroyo Grande, which edged Righetti 5-4 Tuesday. Paso Robles entered the game in second place at 6-3 in league games. The Bearcats' result against Nipomo was unavailable at press time.

Nipomo was winless in league games going in but, “They have been close in (almost) every league game,” said Atascadero coach Mario Morones.

Advertisement

“They're going to be the spoiler. They're going to knock someone out of first or second place.” Morones just hopes the Titans don't derail HIS team. Atascadero's next game is at home at 4 p.m. Friday against Nipomo.

Pioneer Valley's slim playoffs are just about gone. The sixth-place Panthers - four league teams are guaranteed playoff spots - dropped to 3-7, 10-11. They have two regular season games left, including one at 4 p.m., Friday at San Luis Obispo.

The Panthers had the same problem Tuesday that has plagued them at times during their league season. “We just could not get the timely hit,” coach Matt Andree said.

Atascadero pitcher Brianna Smet came into the game with an earned run average of around 0.4. The Panthers had six hits against her. They couldn't solve Smet when it mattered most to them.

With Christine Regalado on third base with two outs in the second inning, she got Adriana Garcia to hit into a force play. Smet struck out Pioneer Valley pitcher Jessica Garcia swinging with runners on second and third and two outs in the third.

She set down Salena Gonzalez on a two-out groundout with Garcia, who hit a leadoff single, on third base in the fifth. In the sixth she caught Charla Horr looking on a two-strike, two-out pitch. Greyhounds first baseman Calli Wilson dove and caught a foul pop up for the first out.

“We had runners out there in scoring position,” said Andree. “We hit some balls hard against (Smet). They were right at people.”

Morones demurred from that analysis - some. “They kept trying to extend their hands, and Brianna was jamming them all game.

“They're an excellent hitting team.”

Garcia pitched a solid game. The Greyhounds had only eight hits. “Jessica pitched another strong game for us,” said Andree.

Pioneer Valley's defense was strong too. The Panthers were errorless, and not all the plays they made were routine.

In the third inning, Panthers second baseman Liz Melena went to her knees to snare Henderson's sharp ground ball in the hole between first and second. From her knees, Melena threw Henderson out.

Bell tried to score on Vallaire's fly ball. Center fielder Amanda Estrada cut her down with a strong throw to catcher Horr, who applied the tag in time.

“Our defense has been pretty good most of the year,” said Andree.

The Greyhounds played good defense themselves Tuesday. They had one harmless error.

Arroyo Grande 5, Righetti 4

Krissy Mackiewicz drove in three runs and lifted the Eagles (7-2, 14-7) over the Warriors (5-5, 11-13) in an important PAC-7 game at Righetti.

Fifth-place Righetti dropped a game behind Atascadero and a half game behind idle San Luis Obispo.

The Eagles were ahead 1-0 going into the top of the seventh inning. They struck for five runs then. Then they watched the Warriors strike for four themselves before pitcher Chelsea Rodriguez got the last out.

Mackiewicz and Alex Sweeney doubled for Arroyo Grande. Amanda Baldonado did the same for Righetti. Laura Overholtzer tripled for the Warriors.

Santa Maria 8, Santa Ynez 2

At Santa Ynez, the Saints (1-9, 4-21) grabbed their first LPL win at the expense of the Pirates (1-9, 4-18).

Santa Maria broke open a 4-2 game with four runs in the seventh inning. Monique Esquivel hit a two-run home run then. Selina Gonzalez, who had tripled, scored ahead of her.

Saints pitcher Alyssa Gutierrez checked Santa Ynez with a two-hit complete game.

May 07, 2007