The Herbert Hoover Huskies softball team took care of business to get back to the Class AA state championship finals with a decisive 14-5 win over the Oak Glen Golden Bears at Little Creek Park on Thursday morning.
The Huskies put on a show of offensive might with two big innings, scoring five runs in the third inning to pull away from a close 2-1 contest and seven runs in the sixth inning to put the game away.
Hoover (23-8) benefitted from a four-hit, four-RBI performance by catcher Sidney Bright and a three-hit, four-RBI showing from right fielder Kurstin Wehrle to eliminate the Golden Bears, who were without ace pitcher Lizzie Kell due to a previous game injury.
“I knew I had to come up big for my team and we’ve been in this situation and place before. We’re used to this,” Bright said. “I feel much calmer because it’s like there is no pressure. When you’re in this thing, you’ve got to go onto the field thinking you’re the best one on the field. And that’s what our team does.”
The Huskies came out of the gate hitting in the top of the first, with two runs scored on a timely single by Wehrle.
“We saw some pitches that we were able to get on and get a hold of,” Hoover coach Missy Smith said. “Everybody understands what happened with Oak Glen’s pitcher and we’re glad to see that she’s OK and was able to sit with her sisters [teammates] during the game.”
Oak Glen got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back hits by Sarah Brown and cleanup hitter Liv Munoz to pull back to within a run at 2-1.
On the upcoming rematch with the Winfield Generals and needing back-to-back wins to continue their championship streak, Smith added, “We’ll have to play pitch by pitch and inning by inning putting together all the effort that we can. And hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
The Golden Bears (25-11) found themselves trailing 7-1 through the fifth inning but mounted a small comeback in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs with Brown collecting her fourth hit of the game to pull her team to within four runs at 7-3.
“We knew the situation with our pitcher, but our girls were not giving up,” Oak Glen coach Sherrie Garner said. “We’re capable of the hits and we’ve got some girls that can get us through situations. This season we had six seniors and we’ve got some good kids coming up. So we’re gonna continue to build.”
After the Golden Bear rally, the Huskies re-inserted their starting pitcher Josi Fix in the circle to close out the game. They scored another seven runs in the top of the sixth inning, with Hannah Shamblin delivering the big hit with a bases-clearing double. Bright followed with her second double of the game, picking up another two RBIs.
Herbert Hoover 14, Oak Glen 5
Hoover;205;007;--;14;15;0
Oak Glen;100;022;--;5;11;1
Fix, H. Shamblin (3), Fix (6) and Bright. Murray and Brown. Top hitters – HH: Bright 4-4, 2 2B, 4RBI; Wehrle 3-5, 2B, 4RBI; Hanson 2-4, 2RBI; H. Shamblin 2-4, 2B, 3RBI; Fix 2B, RBI. OG: Brown 4-4, RBI; Munoz 2-4, RBI; Wright 2B, 2RBI; Hartung 2-3.
