Poly Bats Beat Westridge, 11-5

Entering last Wednesday, one thing Polytechnic and the Westridge School had in common was that both of their softball teams were searching for their first Prep League win of the season. That would change as the Panthers and the Tigers met on the diamond for the first time this year. Behind a slew of early runs, Poly collected that elusive first league victory with an 11-5 decision over host Westridge at Frank Field. “Today was a great win because we were able to follow through all the way through and finish the game and win on the high note,” Panther coach Jennifer Bond said. The win was especially sweet for the only upperclassman on the Panther roster, Kiara Engstrom. “I haven’t won a league game all four years of playing at Poly [until now],” Engstrom said. “This was an even match and we just wanted to come out here and play our best and beat them.” Poly’s last league win had been April 18, 2019, before Engstrom’s arrival. The next two seasons were decimated by the pandemic and featured a single league game – a loss – while her junior campaign saw the Panthers go winless through a full Prep League schedule. “In her four years since she’s been here, that is her first win in league,” Bond said of her lone senior. “It was nice.” This breakthrough win saw Poly put up 10 runs over the first two innings despite only collecting two hits. The Panthers feasted on free bases, scoring seven of those runs on wild pitches that the catcher could not contain. Poly’s Piper Hart led off the contest drawing a four-pitch walk. During the next at-bat, the sophomore stole second base and then third before scoring on a wild pitch. That at-bat, by Carthan Connelly, ended in a walk. The next batter, Ellery Engstrom, reached by error and then, while Eila Chan was at the plate, both Connelly and Ellery Engstrom scored on separate wild pitches before Chan was hit with a pitch. Two batters later, Lyla Pak put a ball in play to drive home Chan before reaching on an error. Pak then scored on another error.

The sixth and final run of the top of the opening frame was driven in by a single from Jackie Cardenas that scored Olivia Asper De Tyson, who had reached on an error. Trailing 6-0, the Tigers put up two runs in the bottom of the first on consecutive run-producing singles. The first was by Soleil Ybarra, who drove in Julia Hughes after she led off the bottom of the inning with a single. The second run came on an infield single by Jade Ilas that drove in pinchrunner Amanda Garcia. The Panthers added four more runs in the top of the second despite not getting a hit. Westridge hurler Marysa Ybarra, who went the distance in the circle, hit Ellery Engstrom to lead off the frame. Ybarra then struck out Chan, but the freshman reached base anyway when the catcher dropped the third strike. Both Panthers scored on separate wild pitches during Kiara Engstrom’s at-bat that followed. The senior would draw a walk and later score on a wild pitch. The final run of the inning came on another wild pitch and was scored by Asper De Tyson, who had reached after being hit by a pitch. After that, Westridge limited the Panthers to one run, but the damage was done. “I saw some lack of focus from the get-go,” Westridge coach Karen Hanselman said. “We started off on the wrong foot initially. We did manage to shut them down. By the third inning we started playing the game we know how to play, and I was really proud of their finish. It was a little late to catch up, but we did manage to turn it around and that shows the amount of talent and discipline we do have.” The Tigers scored a single run in the bottoms of the second, third and fifth innings. In the second, Sunday Labrucheries led off with a single and later scored on an error. In the third, Labrucheries hit a double that plated Audrey Anguiano, who had reached via a single. In the fifth, Ybarra smashed a solo home run over the fence in left-center field on a full count. This came after Chan had scored on an error in the top of the inning. Ellery Engstrom went the distance in the circle for Poly, earning the win. The freshman scattered 10 hits and struck out seven. Meanwhile, Westridge’s Ybarra struck out eight while taking the loss. “My pitcher was definitely on today,” Bond said. “She was in the zone and she was going up there and doing a great job today.”