Noah Jamani
Staff Writer
Tension and excitement building up in the stands. Fans impatiently waiting for a score in the game. The Mira Costa Mustangs softball defeated Harvard-Westlake 3-1 on Saturday.
The Mustangs defeated the Griffins in a close game, using skillful passing between the bases to keep Harvard-Westlake from tying the game or taking the lead. Costa ended the game when junior Serena Ponciano catched an outfield ball in the last inning.
“I thought our team played really well today on defense and offense,” junior batter Serena Ponciano said. “It was close towards the end of the game, but we held on.”
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In the fourth inning, The Mustangs tied 1-1 with Harvard-Westlake until senior batter Jamie Hoffman doubled, scoring Ponciano, making the score 2-1. Harvard Westlake’s run came in the second inning of a error by Costa. The Mustangs relied on pitching from senior pitcher Ella Estes to secure their lead.
“The game was really close and our pitcher Ella Estes did a terrific job helping us keep our lead,” Hoffman said.
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Junior shortstop Morgan Ingham kept Harvard-Westlake from running any bases with quick passes between the plates in plenty of the later innings. Defensively, Estes pitching and quick base throwing helped Costa quickly get out of innings.
“It was a great defensive game,” Ponciano said. “Our infield and pitching did a terrific job as well as our outfield.”
In the sixth inning, Morgham Ingham tripled which scored Hoffman to give the Mustangs a 3-1 lead. Meanwhile, Costa’s defense limited Harvard-Westlake’s batters to no hits in the sixth inning.
Photos:Mira Costa versus Harvard-Westlake
“Ingham hit a terrific triple that scored Hoffman,”Ponciano said. “On defense, we played our style and limited their batters.”
The final inning was another inning that Harvard-Westlake went without any hits due to Costa’s defense. Ella Estes continued to pitch well, and her outfield and infield helped her out too, securing Costa’s 3-1 lead.
“Estes continued to pitch well, and Ingham made great plays to throw out runners,” Hoffman said. “It was a great defensive effort from our team, hopefully it continues.”
Costa next plays at Peninsula on Wednesday in a Bay League game. Costa is 0-1 in the Bay League, and 2-3 overall. According to Ponciano, Costa must continue to play stellar defense in order to win.
“We must continue to play terrific defense and generate more offensive chances to be successful,” Ponciano said.
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