CL Hawk’s Have Good Ending in Win over Navarro, 10-9
Maddy Puente bringing it in Hawks Win over Navarro, 10-9. (photo by Karen Holmes)
Canyon Lake had another first, for this Sport’s Season, as this year’s Softball Team will make reservations for an Area Post-Season game with the Sealy Tigers after holding off the Navarro Panthers, 10-9 to sweep their best-of-three series.
“We came out with a lot of energy,” Head Coach John Gallagher opened. “We fought through adversity and did not quit and won.”
Come out and Support Hawks on May 5th!!
This contest was not like that first game with two comebacks in those later innings as, The Lake, had the lead throughout but had to hold off the Panthers for this win.
With 8 runs in those first 3 innings, CL would have their lead whittled down to one run after Navarro would put a 3 spot in the bottom of that 6th frame with a slim, 9-8 advantage.
Marley Carrizales would continue her hot bat and reached base on all but one time as she continues to perform as a top lead-off batter. Carrizales and Bryan would be knocked in by Maggie Banks in that first inning.
Jessie Melendez would cap the scoring with a double scoring Banks for a tenuous, 3-0 lead. Melendez’s bat has been a welcome sight as this player is making her plate appearances count.
“I have learned to have confidence,” Melendez said with confidence. “I am not nervous now”….on her last catch to end the game, “I really got tired but I knew I had it.”
Navarro responded with 2 runs in their half of the stanza, Maddy Puente would strike out the side but unfortunately, for the Hawks, the Panthers would have 3 hits and a walk between those strikeouts.
With one out starting the next inning, Kay Puente would strike a single through the infield to get things started. Puente would end the game with 3 hits with a triple later in the contest.
Let’s Go Hawks!!
Speaking of triples, Maddy Puente would hit the gap and scored two Hawk runs with her triple to cap their 2nd three run frame and, 6-2 Hawk lead.
Navarro would score in every inning but one in this contest and responded by scoring a run but CL still led, 6-2 going into the 3rd stanza.
That 3rd inning started with a Melendez triple and a walk for Kaitlyn Cox would have both base runners scoring on fielder choice outs.
Canyon Lake would have a, ‘it never happened before’, moment with three different pitchers in a game as Freshman Kenzie Sayles would relieve Maddy Puente in the 3rd and as those Panthers would keep chipping away with another run, 8-4 Hawks.
Kay Puente would score in the 5th when Kenzie Sayles singles to drive in the 9th run and regain their 5 run cushion.
Then that 6th inning would have those knowing Hawk fans searching for those Rolaids as Navarro would get within one run after the first 5 Panthers reached base. During this Panther onslaught, CL had their 3rd pitcher called to the circle, as Banks would see if she could stop the bleeding.
Maggie Banks and Marley Carrizales playing defense.
(photo by Karen Holmes)
Now Canyon Lake’s lead was one run and still another inning for a win-loss situation.
With two outs, Kay Puente would have her most imporatant hit to date for this freshman as she hit a rocket to the right field fence and had a stand-up triple. Carrizales would single her in for that important insurance run.
“I have been working on my inside pitches and I felt the barrel of the bat hit the ball and I knew my extension point can help me put power into the ball,” Kay Puente stated after her great plate appearances.
Carrizales two rbi’s would double her total for the year as her lead-off role will usually not present her with those type of opportunities.
A 2-run lead would not be safe in this battle and the Panthers would go to work quickly for their half of the inning. a lead off double would start the upset stomachs. Then an infield hit would have Panther’s on first and third.
For this two-game series, Navarro had made a habit of taking second base when it was not occupied and that situation was presenting itself once again. The Panthers had scored earlier in this game when their 3rd base runner scored after a throw to 2nd in the Hawk’s attempt to get that base runner failed.
Just like clockwork, Navarro did the obvious but this time CL would have a plan in place to render this play in the dumpster.
The throw to Short-Stop Carrizales would have her throw to the plate to get the lead runner out at home and save an important chance to get back to a one run contest with no outs for Navarro.
Way to Go Hawks!!
“We had been working on our plays at home,” Kay Puente stated. “I had been working on getting the tag low but this time she (the Panther runner) just came right at me….it is all about reaction and it is all mental.”
Carrizales would give her rendition of the Navarro play at the plate, “We talked about that play and Coach (Mary-Beth) Gallagher called it and we had worked on that play before our first game of the series….we were just in the moment and got it done.”
Coach John Gallagher would also give his 2 cents worth on the Panther Play, “That is something we want to do and I had been frustrated as we had just been giving them 2nd base, because of their aggressive base running…..(Coach) Mary-Beth calls the defense and this time we got them.
Navarro would score that run two batters later on a hard hit single but that would be as far these Panthers would venture as a line-out to a diving Melendez put the game and series in the Hawks favor, 10-9 final.
This was the 3rd win during this season with Navarro and all three games were down to the wire episodes.
The good news is that this ending episode had a great epilogue for Canyon Lake and a date next week for an Area Title.
Congrats and Go Hawks!!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E CL Hawks 3 3 2 0 1 0 1 10 13 3 Navarro 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 9 12 1 ab r h bi 2b 3b bb so misc Marley Carrizales 2 1 2 2 0 0 2 0 sac sb 2 Kenzie Sayles 5 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 Bailey Bryan 4 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 sb Maddy Puente 4 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 Maggie Banks 4 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 Jessie Melendez 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 Kaitlyn Cox 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 sb Adriana Zunker 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 ph Adriana Peaslee 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kay Puente 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 totals 32 10 13 9 1 3 5 3 pitching ip h r er bb so W L S Maddy Puente 2.1 5 4 2 1 3 3 3 0 Kenzie Sayles 2.2 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 0 Maggie Banks 2.0 4 2 2 2 1 0 0 2 totals 7.0 12 9 7 6 7 pitches-strikes: Maddy Puente 63-42 Kenzie Sayles 49-28 Maggie Banks 39-22
