Pintos stomped by Blair Oaks in four-inning game

Blair Oaks senior Emilee Jones rounds second base past California's Destiny Cook.
Blair Oaks senior Emilee Jones rounds second base past California's Destiny Cook.

For a young California team, facing a Blair Oaks squad that's considered the class of the Tri-County Conference was never going to be an easy task.

So despite a 16-1 loss via run-rule that saw the Falcons score four runs in all four innings of play, the Pintos had nothing to hang their heads at following the game on Sept. 20.

"We had a good effort," California head coach Darrell Bolin said. "We actually played a good defensive game. The scoreboard didn't look like it, but they hit the ball where we weren't.

" (Blair Oaks) is probably the best team we've faced all year. They're a complete team."

The Falcons got off to a fast start thanks to a double by Sydney Wilde on the second at-bat of the game. Two batters later, Blair Oaks cleanup hitter Makenna Kliethermes did just that, driving in three runs with a bases-clearing triple to put the Falcons in control early.

Kliethermes finished with a game-high six RBI, driving in at least a run in each of her three plate appearances. Blair Oaks did its damage in the second inning on a pair of doubles by Hannah Schroeder and Peyton Kusgen.

The Falcons had seven extra base hits as a team, with Wilde and Kliethermes having two apiece. Blair Oaks got three shutout innings from starter Megan Mitchem, who gave up just one hit and one walk while striking out two.

Kaitlyn Turner got the start on the bump for California, but was relieved by Destiny Cook after two and a third innings. Cook went the rest of the way, and is emerging as a second arm for the Pintos late in the season.

"We're trying to get (Destiny) more innings," Bolin said. "Kaitlyn just guts it out every game. I wish we'd give her more run support so that she'd have more relaxed outings."

Despite the big deficit, California battled the whole way through and nearly extended the game into the fifth inning. Jessica Reynolds drew a walk off Falcons reliever Meredith Eisterhold to start the fourth and the Pintos scratched out the run from there, with Turner getting the RBI.

California's lone hit of the game came in the third inning off the bat of freshman Kendal Marsh. In the field, the Pintos had no errors, which is one of biggest positives for California moving forward.

"This team doesn't have any quit in them," Bolin said. " They just kept battling. They went up to the plate and took some good hacks even when the score was what it was."