CITY SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP: ECR DREAM BECOMES NIGHTMARE SAN PEDRO 3, ECR 2.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer SOUTH GATE - After the second out in the bottom of the eighth inning, El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
``I thought we had it.'' The tears eventually came for Coogan, only they were tears of sorrow rather than tears of joy after the Pirates mounted an improbable rally to gain a 3-2 victory and deny El Camino Real a berth in the City final. The comeback was capped by a game-winning, two-run double on a pop fly to right-center field that bounced out of the glove of Brecken Bronner. The Conquistadores (25-7) had taken the lead 2-1 in the top of the eighth when Christina Enea had a base hit up the middle to score Stacy Nicklaus. Enea had a hand in both Conquistadores' runs, scoring in the second inning after a single up the middle and then delivering the clutch hit in the eighth. Enea felt her RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in single would hold up. ``I thought we had it, I thought we won,'' Enea said. And then a nightmare unfolded. Coogan started the inning by walking leadoff batter Heather Pego Pego can refer to:
n. Baseball A play made on a ground ball in which the fielder chooses to put out an advancing base runner, thus allowing the batter to reach first base safely. Noun 1. . After getting Natalie Tam to pop up to first, Coogan walked Ashley Esparza, setting the stage for Jessica Robles Robles is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning oaks, and may refer to:
Bronner made a long run, stuck out her glove and lunged at the ball, which hit the webbing then fell out, allowing Winter and Esparza to score the winning runs. Enea watched in shock. ``It was like one big balloon, you're all inflated,'' Enea said. ``And then as the winning run scores, you're all deflated de·flate v. de·flat·ed, de·flat·ing, de·flates v.tr. 1. a. To release contained air or gas from. b. To collapse by releasing contained air or gas. 2. .'' Bronner said she got a good jump on the ball but just couldn't make the play. ``If I was just a step closer, I think I would have had it,'' Bronner said. Ironically, El Camino Real lost last year in the semifinals 1-0 to Carson on a game-winning home run in the 11th inning that fell in between two outfielders. San Pedro (26-3), which is making its third trip to the final in four years, plays Carson on Tuesday at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . The Conquistadores were seeking their 13th City title since 1983. The loss ends the stellar career of Enea, who won the title as a sophomore and will now play at the University of Oklahoma University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. , and Coogan, who is headed to Hawaii. Coogan and the Conquistadores felt they weren't getting help from the home-plate umpire, complaining he called a tight game throughout, then shrank shrank v. A past tense of shrink. shrank Verb a past tense of shrink shrank shrink his strike zone even more in the last inning. ``We couldn't buy a strike in that inning,'' Conquistadores coach Lori Chandeler said. Coogan, who allowed five hits, including a home run to Winter on her first pitch in the opening inning, agreed. ``It was unbelievable,'' Coogan said. ``(Enea) came out and talked to me, she said, 'Mel you can't get mad, don't show him your faces.' '' The umpire warned Enea about Coogan's expressions, but the senior catcher stuck up for her pitcher. ``He was like, 'Tell your pitcher to stop making faces when she doesn't get the call, and I was like, 'She's pitching strikes and you're not calling them strikes, I'd be upset too.' '' |
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