Hendon, Hiramatsu come through for Lady Tigers
Thursday, April 16, 2009 10:06 AM PDT
Argus Observer Sports Staff
Boise—No Jordan Barnett, no problem.
The Ontario softball team had Kendra Hiramatsu and Kayla Hendon.
Hiramatsu went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base, and Hendon added a hit, a run scored and two RBIs, as the Tigers broke open a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the sixth inning and held on for the 3-0 blanking of the Knights Wednesday in non-league softball action in Boise.
The one breakout inning was all Ontario starting pitcher Jenny Yano needed.
Yano retired the first 14 batters she faced on six strikeouts, seven ground outs and rolled right along.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Bishop Kelly tried to get things cooking with back-to-back singles. After the singles, the Knights pulled off the double steal and had runners at second and third with the No. 8 hitter up.
On a 2-2 pitch, Ontario first baseman Taylor Laubacher grabbed a grounder and fired the ball to Hendon at first base for the final out of the fifth.
Up until the top of the sixth inning, the Tigers left five runners on base and left a runner at third base three times to be held off the scoreboard.
In the sixth they finally broke through.
Allison Yano led off with a walk, and Jenny Yano followed with a double to put runners on second and third with no outs.
Up next was Hendon, who delivered a two-run single scoring both Yano girls, and the Tigers were up 2-0.
On the throw home, Hendon raced to second base, and she promptly swiped third base, setting things up for Hiramatsu, who chased home Hendon on an RBI groundout to second base giving the Tigers a 3-0 advantage.
Jenny Yano retired Bishop Kelly in order in the bottom of the sixth and fanned the first batter of the seventh inning.
The next batter reached on an error, but Yano left the runner stranded, as she struck out the next two batters on eight pitches to end the game.
Yano faced 24 batters, struck out 10 and allowed only the two fifth-inning singles.
Ontario (5-4 overall, 0-2 GOL) hits the road to Milton-Freewater to play Mac-Hi for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Friday
