Five-run sixth lifts West over Cuero in opener
Originally published February 15, 2012 at 5 a.m., updated February 15, 2012 at 5 a.m.
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CommentJordan Hoefling was late on the pitch.
How could she not be?
It was an off-speed pitch, the same thing Cuero's Megan Martin had been baffling Victoria West batters for three innings.
"We were looking at outside pitches, because that's what she'd been throwing,"
This time, though, it was in the dirt.
What no one expected was for her to actually make contact. A swinging bunt up the third-base line that sent everyone on the field scrambling.
Hoefling, a freshman, was reacting on instincts and ran.
"It just rolled a little bit, and I ran it out," she said. "I hit it, so I ran."
The roller up line led to an error that plated a decisive game-tying run for Victoria West, the first of five in a big sixth inning during Tuesday's season opening win over the Lady Gobblers, 8-5.
Hoefling's shoe-topper allowed more than just the tying run to score. It allowed big bats Allena Cannady and Daren Gallup to come up to the plate with only one out, and they did not disappoint.
"Once we started hitting, we started getting up on ourselves and not staying down," Hoefling said.
Cannady singled in a run and Gallup followed with a bases-clearing double that broke the game open and sealed it for the Warriors.
Warriors coach Courtney Rigamonti said the team has been working on being more aggressive at the plate and on the basepaths. That work paid off in the sixth inning with a game winning rally.
"We talked about being more aggressive and waiting for the pitch to come in," "We were hitting the balls off the end of the bat, and we've been practicing running them out and playing hard.
"It showed off this time because we got the runners moving, caused the error at home and got the morale up."
It was all in a days work for the freshman, who expects to have many more strong years of play at second base for Victoria West.
She batted at the top of the order on Tuesday, and despite having an 0 for 4 night, exhibited what she can do.
Really, she's just happy to be playing at the varsity level.
"I play select ball over the summer, I was able to pick it up at this level," Hoefling said. "I was proud of myself that I made it."
NOTES: Cuero used two pitchers, starting the game with Madison Simpson, pitching Martin in the middle of the game before again switching to Simpson. Both pitchers were used to squelch rallies: Martin entered the game in the second to end a Warriors rally, while Simpson took over again in the sixth to end another Warriors rally. ... Cuero got a strong performance from Simpson and Chelsea Vite at the plate. Simpson, in addition to pitching, was also 3 for 4 with two runs. Vite was 3 for 4 also with two doubles with an RBI. ... All nine players in the Warriors lineup reached base during the team's five-run sixth inning. In total, they sent 10 batters to the plate, had four hits and benefited from three walks and a hit batsman. ... Deeann Gallup pitched the first four innings of the game for West, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks.
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