Sovereign went three for three with a pair of runs and the aforementioned RBI to propel the Falcon offensive, while senior hurler Heather Bacon twirled a four-hit shutout, striking out 10 and walking just one.
“How they rise to a pressure situation is just unbelievable,” said Falcons Coach Dan Berry, whose team will host Chino Hills, a 2-1 winner in nine innings over Alemany, on Thursday in the quarterfinals. “They just keep stepping up.”
In Thursday’s 3-1 win against Summit in the opening round, the Falcons exploded for three first-inning runs, but their offense was quelled thereafter.
On Tuesday, the offense of third-seeded Crescenta Valley (26-1) kept coming from the first inning through the seventh, but didn’t break through until the fifth.
St. Bonaventure pitcher Marissa Reyes and Bacon settled in for the first four innings, with the Falcons stranding five base runners — three in scoring position — during the span, while Bacon stranded four despite just one ball getting hit out of the infield.
“I was pretty happy with it,” said Bacon of her performance, although she admitted it was hindered a bit by a controversial and seemingly inconsistent day behind the plate by the umpire.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Erin Ashby looked to have fouled a ball off her ankle, but it was ruled in play. The ball was then bobbled by the third baseman, allowing Ashby to reach base and drawing an argument from the St. Bonaventure coach.
Sovereign promptly followed by blooping a shot just over third base that rolled for a double and scored Ashby for a 1-0 lead.
