Peter Samore
HOOVER HIGH--As it did Wednesday, Hoover High got onto the
scoreboard first in its Hoover Softball Classic game Thursday, this time
against Burbank High.
And like Wednesday, the Tornadoes' opponent (Verdugo Hills High) did
not score until late in the game.
The difference this time was that the Bulldogs got enough offense late
in the game to beat the Tornadoes, 2-1.
Hoover's bats were loud but quickly silenced. The Tornadoes (4-4)
either flew out or popped out 10 times. They got under too many of
Bulldog Tiffany Rhoads' pitches.
"We didn't score because we hit too many fly balls," Hoover Coach Kirt
Kohlmeier said. "Fly balls are the easiest outs to make. We just gave
three innings to the other team."
Burbank's Jennifer Burrows tied the score at one in the fifth by
hitting an inside-the-park home run to left-center. This seemed to change
the game's momentum.
"Jennifer's home run definitely changed the game," Burbank Coach Debby
Day said. "She's been hitting in the eighth spot lately because she
hasn't been hitting the ball as well as she wants to be. It's changed her
morale."
Emily Brower's sacrifice fly to left in the sixth brought home Kristin
Carr to put the Bulldogs (2-1) up 2-1. Brower struck out the side in the
seventh to preserve the win.
Hoover best chances to score came early. Christine Martinez and Cori
Herbert reached on a single and a walk in the first but were stranded on
a fielder's choice and a pop-up to second.
The Tornadoes got a run across in the third. Ivette Martinez singled
and came in to score on Angela Nunez's single. Nicole Platt and Linda
Martinez also singled, but Cathalen Martinez flew out to right and ended
the inning with the bases loaded.
"We need to discipline ourselves to keep the ball on the ground,"
Kohlmeier said. "We had our chances but we popped up. We didn't make
their defense do any work."
Hoover plays Glendale High at Pelanconi Park today at 3:15 in the
Classic's third-place game. It will be the first game that the Kohlmeier
brothers, Kirt of Hoover and Kris of Glendale, will have their teams go
head-to-head.
BOX SCORE
Hoover 000 100 0--1 5 1
Burbank 000 011 x--2 5 1
Hoover IP R ER H BB K
Herbert 6 2 2 5 2 4
Burbank IP R ER H BB K
Rhoads 6 1 1 5 1 0
Brower 1 0 0 0 0 3
WP-Rhoads (2-0) LP-Herbert (4-4) S-Brower (1)
2B: Burbank--Carr. HR: Burbank--Burrows. SB: B--Alfaro, Talamantes.
