Softball: Indians Top Falcons in Pacific League Showdown

The stage was set for another epic pitchers' duel between the Crescenta Valley and Burroughs softball teams.

Falcons senior Erin Ashby and Indians junior Heather Haynes were in complete control in the circle through two innings. The two combined for four strikeouts over that span, and neither allowed a ball out of the infield.

It was a start befitting a clash between the top two teams in the Pacific League (Crescenta Valley and Burroughs each entered Thursday’s game 3-0 in league play). But over the next four innings, the Falcons committed a number defensive blunders that led to runs for the Indians en route to an 8-2 loss on a sweltering afternoon at Burbank’s Olive Park in which temperatures reached 90 degrees. The loss is the Falcons' first in Pacific League play since April 1, 2010, a streak of 13 consecutive wins.

“Sometimes you play well and sometimes you don’t,” Crescenta Valley coach Dan Berry said.

Ashby retired the Indians in order in the first two innings, but Burroughs managed to break through with one out in the bottom of third on Allie Grimaldo’s infield single.

Burroughs junior Victoria Santos then hit a groundball to the Crescenta Valley second baseman for a possible inning-ending double play, but the ball snuck underneath the fielder’s glove and rolled into the outfield, allowing Grimaldo to score from first base.

Ashby struck out Burroughs left fielder Brice Edrington and got Sidney Ortega to fly out to centerfield to escape the inning with no further damage.

The Falcons (9-2, 3-1 in the Pacific League) nearly evened the game in the top of the fourth when freshman Hannah Cookson led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Cookson’s double easily could have gone for either a triple or an inside-the-park home run, but Edrington did a great job of running the play down and firing a perfect throw to the infield to hold Cookson at second.

Cookson advanced to third on Jessica Morena’s two-out single, but Haynes struck out Brielle Walker to end the inning.

The Indians (8-3, 4-0) tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Haynes and an RBI single from Hailee White.

This time the Falcons had a response for the Indians’ rally. Delaney Gay drew a walk with one out, and then junior Allison Lacey was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second with two outs for Cookson. And for the second time in the game, Cookson crushed a ball to left field.

Cookson’s triple plated Gay and Lacey and cut the Indians’ lead to 3-2. Cookson finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two RBI. She now leads the team with 21 RBI on the season.

“(That) little freshman is a good hitter,” Berry said.

Cookson had a chance to tie the game on a wild pitch during the next at-bat, but she stayed put at third and Haynes went on to end the threat with her fifth strikeout of the game.

The Falcons were not able to sustain their momentum as Burroughs put two runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning on junior Haley Schulman’s two-run single. The Indians then scored three more in the sixth, aided in part by two more Falcon errors. Crescenta Valley finished the game with four errors.

Schulman went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Shannon Trujillo went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Indians. Haynes pitched a complete game, striking out seven while allowing only four hits.

Ashby lasted 5 1-3 innings in the circle and went 1-for-3 at the plate for the Falcons.

Crescenta Valley plays Paramount on Friday at 3:15 p.m. in the Savanna Tournament. Burroughs will play a doubleheader at Aliso Niguel on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.