Softball: Early Offense Carries Rebels Past Kares

With star senior pitcher Denise Van der goot unavailable until the bottom of the third inning of Tuesday’s game against Rio Hondo Prep because of a late AP Art History exam, one would think Flintridge Prep’s game strategy would be simply to survive the early innings and wait for Van der goot to arrive and take care of the rest.

But instead of being at their most vulnerable to a Kares offensive surge, the Rebels were the ones doing the early hitting. Flintridge Prep took advantage of some sloppy defensive play from the Kares to score five runs in the first inning en route to a 9-2 win.

“To come out offensively … was nice,” Rebels coach Julie Jaime said. “It was nice that it wasn't one person, it was through the lineup with some good base running.”

Kares pitcher Charley Parker walked Rebels sophomore Marisa Wang to lead off the first, and senior Alina Okamoto immediately followed with a double to the right-centerfield fence to give the Rebels (11-3, 8-1 in the Prep League) an early 1-0 lead.

Ashley Kim put runners on the corners with no outs when she reached on an error by the Rio Hondo Prep left fielder. The Kares (11-5, 5-3) then continued to suffer from self-inflicted wounds as Parker grounded a pitch past the catcher, allowing Okamoto to score and Kim to advance all the way to third. The Rebels added three more runs in the inning and the rout was on. 

Parker struggled with her command throughout the game, with five wild pitches setting up scoring opportunities for the Rebels. The wildness fed into Flintridge Prep’s aggressive play on the basepaths, as they logged two steals for the game and took the extra base whenever possible.

“We’ve been working really hard on our base running,” said Abbey Deckop, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. “We got yelled at a couple of times, so we worked a couple of practices on that. I think it’s really shown how much we’ve grown. And we’ve just become more comfortable on the base paths because people are hitting well.” 

Parker lasted three innings in the circle and was charged with six earned runs on eight hits.

“They came out hitting the ball really well,” Rio Hondo Prep coach Joe Parker said. “Unfortunately we didn’t mix up our pitches very well, and she got hit pretty hard. But they’re a good team."

Parker attributed the shaky play to rust caused by the long layoff since the Kares’ last game (they hadn’t played since an April 21 win over Marshall).

“We haven’t had a game in a week and a half two weeks so we weren’t very sharp,” Parker said. “That makes a big difference.”

Aside from the two-run home run Parker hit in the top of the third that closed the Kares’ gap to 7-2, Rio Hondo Prep was held in check by Rebels starter Caitlin Gillman and Van der Goot, who relieved Gillman in the bottom of the fourth.

The duo combined for nine strikeouts, and Jaime credited Gillman’s work in the circle after the game.

“Caitlin Gillman did a great job setting the tone, keeping base runners off early,” Jaime said.

With the win the Rebels move one step closer toward wrapping up the Prep League title. They currently sit at 8-1 in league play with three games to go, including a big one Friday against Mayfield at Brookside Park.

The Kares continue their week with two more tough tests against Chadwick and Westridge.

“It was a big game but this week’s a big week for us,” Parker said. “We still have Chadwick and Westridge – win two out of those three. Mayfield can come back and beat Flintridge, so we’re still looking at second place probably or a tie for second.”