The Nos. 7, 8, 9 hitters — Ashley Wood, Kaitlin French and Kelsey Merchant, respectively — went five for seven, while also reaching base on a walk and an error and getting hit by a pitch.
All three scored three runs.
“We don’t rely on one or two people,” said Merchant, who had two hits. “We’re strong through the lineup.”
Wood notched her team’s first hit in the bottom of the second, later coming home on the second of eight Duarte (4-9) errors.
That same inning, French scored on one of four Duarte wild pitches in the game to make it 2-1. The throw to the plate hit French on the head, bouncing back into the infield and allowing Merchant to score.
“That’s one of the things that I love so much about this team,” Jaime said. “[No.] 1 through 9-plus [can hit.] That’s a great confidence to have.”
Wood scored on an Alina Khodadian sacrifice fly in the fourth, with French coming around to score all the way from second on the play thanks to another error.
One more error scored Merchant in the inning to make it 6-2.
The Rebels, for all intents and purposes, put the game away in the fifth when Merchant’s line drive to center got through the center fielder, scoring Wood, French and Merchant on a three-base error.
Lydia Kay, who had walked in her first three appearances, knocked in Khodadian on a fielder’s choice for Prep’s final run later in the fifth, making it 10-2.
In the circle, Kay struck out nine, while dealing with a questionable strike zone.
“She pushed through it,” said Jaime of Kay, who allowed three earned runs and five hits. “As a result [of how the game was called] we had to get the ball up.”
That, coupled with two misplayed balls in the outfield, resulted in Kay’s woes.
Second baseman Kelly Wang turned in a tremendous day in the field, though. She executed a seamless relay to get a runner at third and made a diving stop for a force out in the fourth, quelling a possible Duarte rally.
She also began a 4-3-5 double play in the sixth when she bobbled a ball, but still got the runner at first before a runner going for third was punched out, as well.
“That’s just some of our youth showing,” said Jaime of the Rebels’ miscues, which also featured four outs on the basepaths.
French and Kari Van Horn also had two hits for a Rebels squad that returns to Prep League play on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Westridge.
“We’re doing really well, but I still think we can work on a few things,” Merchant said. “Overall, we come out to play every game.”
GRANT GORDON is the sports editor. He can be reached at (818) 637-3225 or grant.gordon@latimes.com.
