Napa squeezes past Vintage again to take second Big Game, move back into tie of first-place in league
By Kyle Foster, photo courtesy of Don Lex (LuckyDuckImages.com)
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
With first-place on the line, everyone figured the second Big Game softball of the season would be a thriller.
AND IT WAS.
Just like the first Big Game it was Napa who prevailed in a one-run game, this time 5-4.
“It feels good,” Napa coach Ron Walston said of sweeping the Big Games. “We need every game from here on out, so it’s always a great game no matter what the records (are) or who’s pitching or where we’re playing. When you play Vintage it’s always going to be a great game.”
“We did a better job on defense,” Vintage coach Robert Poppe said as to what his team did well in the second Big Game. “I just need to do a better job of coaching the girls and having them ready to play.”
“It really gives us a lot of confidence,” Napa freshman catcher Caity Newburn said of winning both Big Games. “It gives us a lot of energy to move forward and continue winning games.”
With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth and two outs, Jordan Blackmon sent a double to the left-center gap to bring in Cali Olmstead and give Napa the lead. Olmstead pinch ran for Lindsey Lehman who led off the inning with a single.
The Grizzlies (12-7 overall, 7-3 Vine Valley Athletic League) scored the game’s first runs in the bottom of the first when Grace Guzman doubled, stole third, and then scored on a Haylee Giarritta squeeze bunt. Only two batters later, Newburn came up and roped her ninth homer of the season to right-center.
The Crushers (11-3, 6-3 VVAL) scored their first run of the game in the top of the second when Mo Groves singled and later scored on a Sarah Husted single.
Napa tallied two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. It all started when Newburn hit her tenth home run of the season and her second of the day, which again went to right-center. Then, Kimmie Walston singled and was run for by Mila Valentine who later scored on a Abby Arata single.
“I wish I could’ve hit about half as well as she has when I was her age,” Walston said of Newburn. “She doesn’t go out of the zone, she finds a pitch that she can drive, and she just missed another one.”
“It’s really exciting,” Newburn said of hitting two homers on the day. “I think we just played a really good game and it feels great.”
Vintage stormed back to tie the game in the top of the fifth by scoring three times. Husted reached on a bunt single and came into score on a Jordan Allen double. Then Shelby Morse singled and moved to second on the throw to set the table for Brandt who reached on an error that brought home Allen and Simone Sullivan, Morse’s courtesy runner.
“I was really proud of us by the way that we were able to come back in the sixth inning,” Vintage senior left fielder Taylor Brandt said.
Shelby Morse started for the Crushers and got a no decision. She went five innings, struck out three, and walked two in 80 pitches. She gave up four runs on the day.
Walston got the win for Napa. Over a complete game she struck out two and walked one in 79 pitches. She gave up four runs, one of which was earned.
“Kimmie pitched great,” Newburn said of Walston’s start. “She did a really good job. She was hitting her spots. I was really happy with her.”
“She kept the ball down,” Walston explained of his daughter’s start.
Vintage will be back in action on Friday when they travel to Tracy for the NorCal classic where they’ll face Dos Palos at 11 a.m. As for Napa they’ll have a bye Tuesday before hosting Sonoma Valley Thursday at 4 p.m. In the previous meeting on April 9th Sonoma Valley beat Napa 6-5.
