It began innocently enough as Hannah Talavera lined to center field and Lauren Lopez lined to shortstop.
What followed was a parade of a dozen players coming to bat with nine reaching base via a base hit as the Burroughs High softball team scored 10 runs en route to a mercy-ruled 11-1 Pacific League win over visiting Arcadia on Thursday at Olive Park.
The next batter was Kaitlin Okimoto, who launched a solo shot over the right fielder’s head for a home run as the Indians (15-4 and 8-0 in league) pulled ahead 1-0.
Presley Miraglia then walked while Brianna Johnson singled to center field. Isabel Frias drove in a run after reaching base on an infield hit.
Amanda Flores singled to right field for a run batted in and Destiny Velasquez (two hits) slapped a base hit up the middle for a run.
Alise Archuleta had a run-scoring infield hit while Talavera walked, which was followed by Lopez’s two-run single to right field.
Okimoto drilled a line-drive to left center for a home run that brought in three runs while Miraglia singled to center field.
“I like to play a close, competitive game,” Okimoto said. “If it’s too one-sided, sometimes you can lose your focus. You don’t want to do that. It’s always nice when you have a lead that’s more than a few runs, though.”
The inning finally concluded with Johnson popping up to the second baseman.
“With a big lead you can lose your edge,” Burroughs coach Doug Nicol said. “We want to be challenged. We’re going to be challenged next week when we play Crescenta Valley.”
Because of the 10-0 lead, Miraglia went two innings as the right-hander worked a perfect first and second inning.
Miraglia struck out two and didn’t allow a walk and was replaced by Mia Storer, who went three frames and was credited with the victory.
Storer surrendered two hits and one run with five strikeouts and three walks.
Storer retired the side 1-2-3 in the third inning and fanned two batters, and struck out two more in the fourth inning while allowing a pair of walks and a base hit by Susan Harrison.
“When you have a lead it allows you to bring in players and give them meaningful playing time,” Nicol said. “You don’t want to throw them in there during the playoffs and them not having playing time. That’s what these games are good for.”
The Apaches (3-10 and 2-7 in league) scored their only run in the fifth inning when Storer walked Nicole Puente to lead off the frame.
Puente went to second base on a wild pitch and moved to third base on a single by Christie Haung. Puente crossed the plate on Storer’s wild pitch.
Burroughs added a solo run in the fourth inning when Archuleta singled to center field with one out, stole second base and scored on Lopez’s triple to right field.
Nikki Ricciardella had a lead off base hit to center field in the third inning and advanced to second base on Storer’s infield single, but didn’t score.
