Lani Evans followed up a one-hitter on Friday with a two-hit victory over Crescenta Valley, leading Dos Pueblos to a 6-2 victory in the opening game of the Thousand Oaks Softball Invitational on Saturday.
The Chargers later lost a wild 9-7 decision against Lakewood in nine innings. Lakewood scored two runs in the seventh to send the game into extra innings at 5-5. It took a 7-5 lead in the eighth, but DP came back with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Lauren Marmo started at second in the tiebreaker. Sam Sander led off with a single and Siena Wagner reached by fielder’s choice. Uyesaka singled to score Sander and Wagner.
“This was an all-out war,” DP coach Jon Uyesaka said. “Lakewood has great hitters through the entire lineup. Their top players include seniors Montana Dixon, a catcher going to Stanford next year, and first baseman Kylie Lundberg, who is going to Oklahoma. Our pitcher, Veronika Gulvin, did a superb job keeping them 3 for 10.”
Gulvin, a UCSB signee, finished with 10 strikoeuts, one walk in 9 innings of work.
Coach Uyesaka said Lakewood’s two runs in the seventh and ninth unearned.
“We made a few key defensive mistakes that kept Lakewood in the game,” he said.
Alison Milam blasted a ball 100 feet over the center field fence to cap a four-run third inning for DP. “If we were at DP, the ball would have landed on the batting cages on the baseball field,” said Uyesaka.
In the sixth, Evans hit a double and scored on a single by Jade Sinskul.
The Iona-bound Evans went 3-for-5, Kai Uyesaka 2-3 with a run and Milam 2-5 with two RBI.
“Offensively, we are really improving,” coach Uyesaka said. “Everyone is contributing. In the last 8 days we are 5-1, outscoring opponents 39-13.”
In the opener, Evans struck out 13, walkd three and allowed six hits. She got help from her defense. Madison Pickett made a leaping catch to her left at shortstop, robbing Crescenta Valley’s top hitter of a sure double with a runner on first. Madison Buie made a nice catch at the fence in left field.
The Chargers opened the game with four runs in the first inning, Buie ripped a two-run double, Sinskul had a RBI single and Milam scored when Crescenta Valley tried to get Sinskul stealing second.
Melissa Spink scored in the second when the Falcons threw the ball away trying to get Buie stealing second base. In the third, Evans hit a solo home run.
The Chargers (13-4) have a busy week ahead. On Wednesday, they go to the L.A. Angels game for an on-the-field ceremony celebrating their CIF Academic Championship. Thursday, they host Simi Valley and Saturday they return to Thousand Oaks and face Oxnard in the first of two-game finale.
