Call it fatigue or whatever, but Burbank High sophomore pitcher Allie Benson wasn’t effective as she faced 12 batters and was able to retire four as six runs crossed the plate.
Eight more runs would score for Crescenta Valley during the course of a five-inning Pacific League softball game at McCambridge Park on Thursday as the Falcons earned a 14-3 decision after knocking off the Bulldogs 7-3 on Tuesday.
Benson took the loss and gave up five hits with two walks and one strikeout.
“She’s just tired,” Burbank coach Mike Delaney said of his young right-hander. “We played three games this week.”
Sophomore Reace Rushing came in with one out in the second inning and surrendered 10 hits and eight runs with three strikeouts.
Freshman Alex Davis entered with none out in the fifth inning and gave up one hit and no runs.
“They’re young and they’re off and on,” Delaney said of his pitching staff. “They’re spotty. It’s a day by day process.”
Eight batters waltzed to the plate during a three-run opening frame for the Falcons.
“We didn’t come prepared to play today,” Delaney said. “I don’t know why? We expected to play better, but we didn’t think well out there and we didn’t execute.”
Senior Paige Baker walked with the bases loaded and freshman Peyton Hause singled to right field for two runs.
Nine hitters trotted to the dish in the second inning including senior Syndee Wells who tripled to right field that scored two runs.
An infield out by Hause scored a run and freshman Taylor Hoogenhuizen’s infield hit added another run.
With an 8-0 advantage through two innings, Crescenta Valley increased its lead to 10-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth as Wells lined a ball over the left field fence for a homer to lead off the frame and Hause chimed in with an infield hit that plated a run.
The Falcons (9-4 and 5-0 in league) then received six straight singles to begin the fifth inning with senior Marissa Gutierrez driving in a run with a base hit to right center, senior Vivianna Sandoval adding a run-scoring single to left, freshman Alyssa Hernandez chiming in with a single that scored a run and Hause adding a grounder that also brought in a run.
The Bulldogs (5-14 and 2-4 in league), who managed six hits, trimmed the lead to 11 runs with a three-run fifth inning as freshman Emily Monterrey’s triple to center field drove in sophomore Erin Lashkari, who singled, senior Cailey Stevenson, who walked and sophomore Macie Jensen, who reached on a force out.
“We have a lot of young players,” said senior infielder Julia Duarte, who walked in three plate appearances. “But I think that we’re going to come together. We need to do the fundamentals. What we need is a lot of grit. That’s something we had last year.”
Other Burbank players who garnered hits included sophomore Anysia Gonzalez, sophomore Bene Snyder, freshman Amaya Broyls and Davis.
