Kenny Cress / Sports Writer | Posted: Thursday, March 25, 2004 12:00 am
San Luis Obispo shortstop Carrie Casciola smacked a well-hit ground ball in the third inning Wednesday. The would-be RBI hit against Righetti pitcher Carrisa Segura rolled foul just outside the left field line.
Casciola looked frustrated when she got to first base. "Stay with it," her first base coach urged her as Casciola started back to the plate. "Stay with it.
"Stay with it."
Casciola stayed with the next pitch well enough to smack an RBI double for the Tigers/ second run. Meanwhile, Righetti/s hitters could not stay with Tiger ace Katie Burkhardt/s pitches very well.
The Tigers racked up a 4-0 PAC-5 League victory at Righetti, and Burkhardt racked up 17 strikeouts. San Luis Obispo is 2-0 in the PAC-5, 7 -1 overall. The Warriors are 1-1, 7-2.
Righetti/s only hit off Burkhardt was Segura/s double in the first.
"She/s going to Arizona State for a reason," Righetti coach Richard Cornejo said of Burkhardt. "But we weren/t very disciplined at the plate. She/d get two strikes on us, she/d throw us rise balls and there we were swinging at it.
"Ninety percent of the time when Burkhardt gets two strikes, she/s going to throw the rise ball. The umpire today wasn/t calling the high strike. He was a low-strike umpire." Righetti batters struck out swinging 14 times.
The game pitted two of the best pitchers, both of whom are seniors, in the area. Segura went on a recruiting visit to La Salle University in Philadelphia earlier this month.
The Tigers took the suspense out of the game early. In the first inning leadoff batter Kari Houle singled, went to third on a pair of passed balls and then came home on Casciola/s single.
Casciola fouled two good 2-2 pitches from Segura, took ball three and then singled.
The Tigers struck for three runs in the third. Casciola doubled the first home, she scored on Jess Kriet/s triple and then Kriet came home when Righetti second baseman Tabatha Taylor dove but missed Katie Houle/s pop fly.
Segura kept the Tigers hitless after the third, but by then it was too late.
"You give any pitcher a four-run lead and she/s just going to get stronger and stronger," Cornejo said. "It/s very tough to come back from a four-run deficit, especially in softball.
"This was the first time we/d faced a pitcher like this when we were behind. We faced very two good pitches up north," when the Warriors finished third at the Tournament of Champions in Sacramento earlier this month.
San Luis Obispo coach Michael Lee said, "(Burkhardt) threw exceptionally well in two other games, but this is at least as good as any game she/s pitched this year."
As for his team/s hitting, "I was very pleased that we were able to get out early against a fine softball program such as Righetti/s against a quality pitcher," said Lee.
Righetti/s bright spot was its defense. The Warriors were errorless.
"Our defense has been fine," said Cornejo.
Righetti plays a PAC-5 League game at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Atascadero. The Tigers host St. Joseph in a non-league doubleheader that starts at 2:30 p.m. that day.
Lompoc 4, AG 0
LOMPOC 7 Ashley McDonough hurled a complete game three-hitter as the Braves won a non-league game.
Erika Blecha and Krista Simko doubled for the Eagles (1-4). Lompoc plays a Los Padres League game at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Morro Bay. Arroyo Grande hosts Paso Robles in a PAC-5 game the same day and time. The Eagles are 0-1 in the PAC-5.
Golf
PAC-5 League Tournament
Medalist Justin McCutcheon led San Luis Obispo to victory at the Santa Maria Country Club.
McCutcheon shot a 73. San Luis Obispo shot a 389 as a team.
Righetti finished last in the five-team field at 422. Daniel Miller led the Warriors with a 76.
Paso Robles finished second at 403, Atascadero was third at 406 and Arroyo Grande came in fourth at 408. Bryan Pierce led Arroyo Grande with a 76.
The tournament had been originally scheduled for today but was moved to Wednesday.
SY 412, Nipomo 42
(Tuesday)
NIPOMO 7 Nipomo/s Kyle Springer was the co-medalist with a 77, but the Pirates (2-0, 5-8) prevailed in a LPL match at Black Lake.
Co-medalist Paul Monaco led the Pirates with a 77.
Tennis
Cabrillo 12, Coast Union 6
VANDENBERG VILLAGE 7 Clai Fields and Edgar Chavez, and Chris Baltazar and Paul Xiong swept their doubles sets to help Cabrillo win this non-league match.
Lyle Mikowicz won two of his three singles sets for the Conquistadores, who are 1-2 in the LPL and 3-4 overall. Cabrillo hosts Santa Maria at 3 p.m. today in a league match.
RHS 9, AG 9 (RHS 92-86)
On Tuesday, Rikin Tank/s 6-2 victory over John Rivera put the Warriors into a tie in sets won. That set up Righetti/s victory by total games.
The win was Righetti/s first of the year. The Warriors squared their PAC-5 record at 1-1.
Tank is the Warriors/ No. 1 singles player. Rivera is Arroyo Grande/s No. 3 singles player.
Baseball (Tuesday)
VCA 10, NCC 0
ATASCADERO 7 Fernando Calderon doubled and tripled as the Lions (1-0, 2-3) breezed to victory in their Coast Valley League opener.
Andrew Kiger hit a two-run home run for the Lions in the second inning. Brian Mahoney doubled for the Lions, whose David Kiger pitched a complete-game three-hitter.
VCA hosts Shandon at 3:30 p.m. today in another league game.
Volleyball (Tuesday)
SY 3, Morro Bay 0
SANTA YNEZ 7 Arthur Van Leuven and Dave Noonan racked up seven and six kills respectively as the Pirates from the south swept the Pirates from the north 25-19, 25-17, 25-7 in a LPL match.
"The middle attack really opened up," for the Pirates, said Santa Ynez coach Chip Fenenga.
Santa Ynez is 1-0 in the LPL and 4-1 overall.
SLO 3, St. Joseph 0
The Knights (2-4) were swept 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 at Hofschulte Gym in a non-league match.
Matt Segura and Brett Kleinsmith had eight kills apiece for the Knights.
Arroyo Grande 3
Santa Maria 0
The Eagles swept the Saints (1-4) 25-21, 25-17, 25-20 in a non-league match at Wilson Gym. Ricky Quintana led Santa Maria with nine kills.
March 25, 2004