Sports

Softball: AV Can't Overcome Livermore

Dons fall a game and a half back with 6-3 loss to Cowboys

In its five-game winning streak since losing to Livermore 5-2 on April 15, the Amador Valley High softball team showed it could win in a variety of ways.

The Dons still haven't solved the Cowboys.

Livermore struck for three first-inning runs before holding off a late Amador charge to win 6-3 and take control of the East Bay Athletic League title race.

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"We didn't get the hits when we needed them today," Amador coach Julie Marshall said. "Even though we took the loss, I think our team is confident we can be on the other side if we meet them again in the post season."

The Cowboys (9-2 EBAL) came into the game with a half-game lead over the Dons in the EBAL standings and can clinch the league's automatic bid for the NCS Division I playoffs with a win in any of its remaining three games.

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Amador won't have time to hang its head with rival Foothill on tap in makeup game Wednesday. The Dons haven't topped Foothill in softball in at least five years and haven't scored a run against their cross-town rival in the past three meetings.

"Hopefully we'll take the positives from this game and take it to (Foothill) tomorrow," Marshall said.

Starting pitcher Haley Douglas, who has been stellar of late with shutout wins against California and San Ramon Valley, didn't get out of the first on Tuesday. After giving up a triple to Louisville-bound Katie Keller and getting a ground-ball out, she experienced some tough luck.

After giving up a line-drive single, she allowed a pair of infield hits before walking in a run. Marshall called on lefty Krista Williams to relive Douglas and the freshman got a sacrifice fly and a strike out to end the inning.

Facing one of the better hitting teams in the section, Williams did well in relief. She scattered seven hits and allowed three runs the rest of the way.

"We have a deep staff," Marshall said. "I've brought (Williams) in in some situations and she has done well all year."

Amador (7-3) made it 3-1 in the third inning when Nicole Borchard's single drove in Maggi Horn (2 for 4) from second.

The Cowboys added a run in the fourth before Amador cut the lead to 4-3. Another Borchard single plated Horn for the second time and Katie Echavia also came around to score after a Livermore error.

That's as close as the Dons would get, however, as Livermore tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth.

———————————————————————

Livermore 6, Amador Valley 3

Amador Valley 001 020 0— 3 7 1

Livermore 300 102 x — 6 11 3

Amador Valley Valley (ab-r-h) — Williams 3-0-1, Horn 4-2-2, Bloom 3-0-1, Echavia 3-1-0, Borchard 4-0-2, Price 4-0-0, Heller 3-0-0, Melton 2-0-0, Masajlo 1-0-1, Fromson 3-0-0.

Livermore (ab-r-h) — Keller 2-1-2, Sabatini 3-1-1, Taylor 3-1-2, Gilbert 3-2-1, Schiller 4-0-2, Munns 3-0-1, Hubert 2-0-0, Beights 3-0-1, Lanza 3-1-1.

Pitching

Amador Valley — Douglas (L) 0.1 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 0 K; Williams 5.2 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 6 K.

Livermore — Schiller (W) 5.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K; Taylor 1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB.

Batting

2B — Williams (AV), Taylor (L), Schiller (L). 3B — Keller (L).

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Check back later for video clips from the game


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