El Dorado drops wild home opener

By Mike Bush
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El Dorado High softball coach Marci Brown admitted to using the double steal twice last season. In Tuesday’s home opener against West Campus, Brown matched last year’s total — in the same inning.

The Cougars scored twice on a double steal in the fourth inning to break a 4-all tie against the Warriors but West Campus rallied for a 12-11 victory at the Cougars’ field. The two teams combined to score 11 runs in the final two innings.

Maria Gadow led off the bottom of the fourth for El Dorado with a single to left field, stole second and moved to third on Joshly Hilton-Wright’s sacrifice fly to right before Kailey Olcott walked. Olcott rounded the base and raced toward second, giving Gadow the green light for home plate to score the go-ahead run, 5-4.

“This is the first game and we did it couple of times,” joked Brown. “Offensively, we’re a pretty strong team.”

The second double steal came with Olcott on third base, the Cougars’ Trinity Jackson walked but also rounded first and raced toward second. Olcott exploded for home, sliding to cushion the Cougars’ lead to 6-4. Jackson scored when Miranda Hinrichs reached base on an error to make it 7-4.

In the final two innings, both teams went on a scoring frenzy. In the top of the sixth inning, West Campus, after its run in the top of the fifth, scored five runs off four hits, a walk and an error for a 10-7 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, the Cougars (0-1) made it 10-8 when Ty Henderfson reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored when Henderson reached on a West Campus error, one of seven the Warriors committed.

The Cougars had three errors in the game, all coming as the Warriors rallied in the sixth and seventh frames.

“I think it’s just the little things we need to work on,” Brown said. “Pulling our heads up when we have that error and work as a team.”

In its final at-bat, El Dorado scored three times. Monique Wilson, Jackson and Olcott scored on three singles with one out but a strikeout and groundout ended the Cougars’ rally.

El Dorado finished with eight hits in the game, and West Campus had 10. Olcott scored three times, and Jackson (2-for-4) and Gadlow scored two times each.

El Dorado led 4-0 when West Campus scored four times in the top of the fourth to tie the game. The Cougars scored their first four runs in the game in the first inning off three hits and two Warrior errors.

Brown is looking forward to her team building its bond before the start of Sierra Valley Conference on Tuesday, March 12 at home against Vista del Lago.

“This team is dynamite,” Brown said. “A lot of heart and a lot of great leaders who are going to lead this team. This year is a real solid team. I’m excited.”

Two of the three captains are Deanna Herrera, who had a triple in the game, and Katie Harris, who will join the team after the CNISSF State Finals next week. Olcott, a senior, is a transfer from Arizona but has played travel ball in recent years.

Contact Mike Bush at 530-344-5079 or mbush@mtdemocrat.net. Follow @MBushMtDemo on Twitter.