The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The Long Beach Wilson softball team has a saying “Mercy now, team dinner later.”
The Bruins lived that motto on the road on Thursday night in a 15-4 six innings mercy-rule win over Lakewood thanks to their bats.
“We’ve been [the underdog] so many times,” Wilson’s Tatum Yates said. “I feel like we’re constantly the underdogs, so just to have confidence and have fun and know we have nothing to lose. It’s a great feeling, it’s so much fun playing with all the girls.”
The Bruins wasted no time getting to work as they took advantage of some early Lakewood struggles including a hit-by-pitch in Wilson’s first at-bat. The Lancers then walked another before Yates hit an RBI-single to score Charlotte White and take an early 1-0 lead.
Aleksa Barrera followed that with a three-run home run as the Bruins got their first two-out rally to take a 4-0 lead at the top of the first.
Lakewood responded after Izzy Rueda walked and scored after Katelynn Lewis hit an RBI single to cut Wilson’s lead to 4-1 at the end of the first.
After a scoreless second inning, another two-out rally helped the Bruins extend their lead to 8-1 thanks to some solid hitting from Yates with an RBI-double. Charlotte White then connected on a three-RBI double to open the game up in the third.
“It’s electric to be in the dugout,” White said about the Bruins being hot. “When everyone is hitting, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Lakewood continued to fight as Lewis drew a leadoff walk and Jaylenne Echeverria hit a homer to cut the Bruins’ lead to 8-3.
Two batters later, Abbey Morris got into the action as she hit a solo shot to cut Wilson’s lead to 8-4 after the third.
Wilson responded back again with another four runs to push the lead to 12-4. The Bruins finished the game with 15 hits and two home runs.
“(Wilson) did a great job,” Lakewood coach Andy Miramontes said. “They scored a lot of two-out runs. Hats off to them.
Wilson’s Charlotte White went 3/4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Yates went 3/4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Hannah Stump went 2/2 with three runs and reached base four total times. Ruby Leyva went 2/4 with a run and two RBI.
Lakewood’s Echeverria went 2-3 with 2 RBIs and a home run.
