Mira Costa Softball to Slug it Out for First Place Today

If the Mira Costa softball team wants to claim the league title, they'll have to do more than go scoreless against a Palos Verdes team that shut them out 2-0 behind hurler Alex Whittemore in April.

Today's 3:15 p.m. game at PV (14-14, 5-4) should be a doozy as the Mustangs (20-6-1, 7-2) have come on strong toward the end of the season, lifting themselves from fourth place to a tie for first with Palos Verdes Peninsula (10-13, 7-2).

Today's game concludes the Bay League season, which has had its ups, downs and more ups for the Mustangs, who pounded out 15 hits and scored 16 runs against Redondo in April, just one example of the team's ability to do some damage.

Against PV last time on their home field, the team forgot its offense, managing only five hits in the shutout.

In a matchup of aces that game, the Purdue University bound Whittemore struck out six and outdueled Mira Costa’s Breanna Kelly, who was her characteristically sharp self scattering just four hits, as each pitcher went the full seven innings for their respective teams.

“She [Whittemore] is a good pitcher, but we have been able to hit good pitchers this year," said catcher Katie Saunders. "I think we just have to work on making some adjustments and fixing our mistakes going forward."

Indeed, the Mustangs have done just that, moving up the ranks to the top spot, albeit in a tie.

In the April contest against PV, the Mustangs were not without chances, as they left seven base runners stranded. That will have to change in order for the team to beat PV today.

In April, the game was scoreless going into the fifth inning, and with one out on the board, Kamyle Glover beat out a throw for a bunt single and was immediately joined by her sister, Taylor who reached base on a well-placed bunt of her own.

The Mustangs' chances seemed on their side, their top two run-producers in Saunders coming to the plate and slugger Stefani Lajeunesse in the on-deck circle.

Saunders ripped a shot to right field, but it was caught and Lajeunesse flied out to left field to end the inning.

“We don’t score very many in the early innings," said coach Richard Amberik. "We had opportunities today. There were some base running errors that we don’t want, but they will overcome this.”

The only scoring of the game came in the sixth. With one out and runners on first and second, Haley Schenasi doubled to deep left-centerfield, bringing home Andrea Del Conte and Sammi Gyerman for a 2-0 lead. 

“Give credit to PV, they were enthusiastic and their desire pulled them through,” Amberik said.

Kelly would strand Schenasi as she induced a fly out and pop out to Saunders to end the inning, but the Mustangs offense would come up with only one hit in the last two innings.

“It was just that one hit that they got really," Kelly said. "Our defense was really on for the most part. Our offense wasn’t quite on our game as we usually are, but we will come back from this.” 

Kelly struck out four PV batters during her seven innings.  

“Her ball goes all over the place," said Amberik. "She makes very good batters look bad. She’s got about seven pitches and throws them all pretty well; she really should be 12-0 this year,” 

Saunders, Lajeunesse, Nicolette Gialketsis, Kamyle and Taylor Glover picked up hits for the Mustangs.

The Bay League has featured a tight race, with four teams frequently within one game of each other in the win column.

“In the past there have been high level and low level teams," said Saunders. "This year there are no teams you can just walk over, you have to work hard in every single game."

In another game in April, the Mustangs offense scored in every inning, taking advantage of a Redondo (now 13-11, 5-4) infield that struggled mightily in securing outs behind pitcher Brett Aspel.

Speedy centerfielder Taylor Glover known more for hitting triples, started things off with an opposite field shot that cleared the fence in left field.

“I don’t think about home runs," Glover said. "I just saw the pitch and went for it and it went over. I don’t think it hit me until I had rounded second.” 

Redondo’s Aspel induced numerous ground balls to the infield, but a solid defense was not behind her. 

Instead, the Sea Hawks infielders made eight errors and gave the Mustangs line up more base runners and opportunities they easily converted.

The game had the makings of a slugfest, as Redondo’s Katrina Cohen took Mustangs starting pitcher Breanna Kelly to the yard to pull Redondo in front 3-1 in the first, and Jazmin Jordan hit a solo homer in the second to pull the game tied at 4-4 after the Mustangs had added three runs in the top of the frame.

“The first couple innings were nerve racking, but our hitting came back and we got on a roll,” Kelly said.

Second baseman Kamyle Glover showed she would not be out done by her sister, hitting an Aspel offering over the right field fence to bring the score to 6-4.  It was the first time the sisters had homered in the same game.

The Mustangs broke the game open in the fourth as they batted around in the inning and came up with five runs.

With the bases loaded, Megan von Behren put the ball on the ground, but Redondo third baseman Linda Park could not come up with the play.

Designated hitter Rachael Lee drove in two runs with a base knock to left field and was joined in the hit-parade by the Glover sisters as Kamyle’s single drove in a run and Taylor blasted a pitch off the centerfield fence to bring home two more runs.

Kelly, who settled in after the first two innings, did not allow another run, pitching a full six innings, scattering seven hits and picking up the win for Mira Costa.

“The offense took a lot of pressure off of me tonight," Kelly said. "In this game they definitely had my back."

In the sixth, the Mustangs would tack on four more runs and end the game early as the 10-run rule was enforced.

Lajeunesse’s ninth homerun of the season went over the fence in a hurry as she hit a laser that brought around Taylor Glover and Katie Saunders.

Lajeunesse, the Mustangs' top power hitter, has gone deep in many Bay League games this season. Kamyle Glover was a perfect 4-4 at the plate.

“When we see a short fence, we don’t go for the fence, we just try to get a solid hit," said Lajeunesse. "Once you start thinking, "I want to hit a home run,' that’s when bad things happen,” 

“Our goal was to come out hard," said Kamyle Glover. "We knew they were a good team that was hitting well and we wanted to be the team who could knock them off.” 

Now, the Mustangs need to knock off PV to remain at the top of the Bay League. Their rival atop the league PV Peninsula plays Redondo today.