With star pitcher Kailey Snyder sidelined by a rib injury, SBCC’s Nicole Adair knew she’d have to pitch in Thursday’s WSC softball doubleheader at Pershing Park. But she didn’t know how much.
“I knew I’d have to throw a couple of innings,” said Adair, a sophomore who normally plays right field. “Then coach looked at me when I was warming up and said, ‘Make sure you’re good.’ That’s when reality hit me and I knew my team needed 14 innings.
SBCC's Joan Cannon bunts for a single.
“I gave them the best I could and my arm held up really well.”
Adair tossed a seven-hitter in the opener and beat Ventura 4-1. The Pirates (15-13, 8-4) used a 10-hit attack to win the second game by the same 4-1 score.
The first-place Vaqueros (22-3, 11-1) suffered their first WSC Gold Division loss in the nightcap and had their nine-game winning streak snapped. Jasmyne Holmes had a double in each game.
“When Kailey was throwing at Cuesta (on Tuesday), she felt a little off-balance,” said coach Paula Congleton. “One of her ribs was out of place. She went to the chiropracter a couple of times and it’s really inflamed. When she follows through, she’s in excruciating pain.
“Nicole did an outstanding job. It’s really unfortunate that we didn’t support her on offense.”
Snyder looped a pinch-hit single in the seventh inning of the second game. The Vaqueros loaded the bases with two outs but couldn’t score.
Carly Smith hit a solo homer in the first inning of the opener and drove in two runs. The Vaqueros took a 3-1 lead in the second frame on two walks, a single by Stephanie Bolanos and an error on a grounder by Joan Cannon that brought in two runs.
Joan Cannon manufactured SBCC’s last run in the fifth. She reached on a bunt single and sprinted from first to third on Adair’s bunt single past the pitcher. Smith grounded out to third and Cannon took off for home on the throw to first, knocking the ball out of the catcher’s mitt with a hard slide.
Cannon ended the Ventura sixth with a diving grab of a ball hit to left-center field by Janessa Pulido.
“I love having Joan In the 1 (hitting) spot because we can always make things happen when she’s on-base,” Congleton noted. “We called the bunt-and-run and she got from first to third with a great outside slide.”
“She’s quick, she’s smart and defensively, there’s no better center fielder in our conference.“
In the nightcap, Pulido held SBCC to six hits and struck out five.
“Give Ventura credit, they made some plays today,” said Congleton. “We knew they’d eventually catch up to what Nicole was doing. We needed to produce some offense. We have to figure that out in the next 24 hours.”
The Vaqueros will host the state’s fourth-ranked team, Mt. San Antonio, on Friday at 3 p.m.
First Game
Ventura ….. 000 001 0 — 1 7 1
SBCC …….. 120 010 x — 4 6 1
Lemos and Bennett; Adair and Bolanos. W–Adair 2-0. L–Lemos.
2B–V: Moreno. SB: Holmes. HR–SB: Smith (2), 1st inn., none on.
Second Game
Ventura ……. 010 011 1 — 4 10 2
SBCC …….… 010 000 0 — 1 6 0
Pulido and Bennett; Adair and Bolanos. W–Pulido. L–Adair 2-1.
2B–V: Markmann. SB: Holmes. HR–V: Moreno, 7th inn., none on.
