City Employees slugs one out

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — As per District 16 Minor Softball Knockout Tournament rules, the maximum amount of runs either team was permitted to score in a single inning during Saturday’s game between Glendale Vaquero City Employees and CV Sierra Pacific at Glorietta Park was five.

City Employees didn’t get shortchanged in that department in either of the first two innings, slugging a total of 10 runs which stood up just fine in a 15-8 win.

Paced by a grand slam from Dilene Soto in the second inning, City Employees got its offense going early and kept its edge behind three innings in the circle from Alex Mendez, who got the win in a game that was shortened to 4 1/2 innings due to a time limit.

“They showed off that they’ve been practicing,” said City Employees Coach Alex Garcia, whose team will meet CV Mariners in the semifinals at 5 p.m. on Monday at Scholl Canyon Ballfields. “The commitment shown has been impressive on the field.”

A double to left field by Jaqueline Villasenor plated Natalie Campos for a 2-0 City Employees lead in the first inning and a single by Mendez led to an error that forced the fifth run of the frame across.

Sierra Pacific took advantage of two walks and a hit by pitch in the bottom of the first and pulled to within 5-3 after scoring on an error and two wild pitches. But in the top of the second, City Employees’ lineup was back at it.

After three straight one-out walks to load the bases, Soto dropped a deep fly ball behind Sierra Pacific’s outfielders in left field to give City Employees a 9-3 lead. Campos followed with a single and scored on a Villasenor single to end the inning.

“[City Employees] had some pretty gnarly bats,” Sierra Pacific co-Coach Alex Maldonado said. “But we always try the best we can to come back.”

Sierra Pacific made an attempt to battle back, drawing three walks to load the bases before Sabrina Huezo scored on an error and Alex Sato came in from third on a double steal. Michelle Huezo doubled to prolong the rally but a runner was cut down at the plate on the play for the second out and Michelle Huezo was stranded at second when Mendez ended the frame with a strikeout.

City Employees bumped up its lead to 11-5 in the top of the third inning, but Sierra Pacific came up with another rally in the bottom half. Brenna Pratt, who led off the inning with a walk, scored on a throwing error on Sierra Lindman-Marshall’s ground ball and Rosa Douglas, who singled, came around to score on a fielding error on the same play.

Lindman-Marshall advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an error on the throw to third to pull Sierra Pacific back within 11-8. Mendez came up clutch again, getting out of the inning with a bases-loaded strikeout.

A two-run top of the fourth, followed by Galilea Guzman’s two-RBI single scoring Xochtil Garcia and Monique Rubalcava in the top of the fifth was enough to seal the win for City Employees as the time limit kicked in.

 GABRIEL RIZK covers sports. He can be reached at (818) 637-3226 or at gabriel.rizk@latimes.com.