Sailors, Sea Kings split in Back Bay twin bill

Bryce Alderton

Saturday’s softball doubleheader between Back Bay rivals Newport

Harbor High and Corona del Mar featured a stirring pitcher’s duel in

Game 1 followed by the continuing emergence of a freshman hurler in

Game 2.

Newport senior Ashley Gleason and CdM sophomore Michelle Tolfa

combined for 23 strikeouts and allowed seven hits between them the

first game, in which the Sea Kings scored twice in the top of the

seventh inning and held on for a 2-1 victory.

Newport freshman Jane Messersmith kept CdM hitters off balance in

the second game, striking out six, walking two and allowing two hits

in four innings of an eventual 10-2 Tars’ win.

The Sailors’ offense broke through early against CdM freshman

Karissa Dempsey, making her first varsity start. Host Newport scored

nine times in the first two innings.

“We felt bad losing, we wanted to come back and beat them really

bad,” Messersmith, who improved to 4-0 this season, said. “It makes

it a lot easier pitching with a lead.”

The Sailors (11-3) sent 11 batters to the plate in their six-run

second, which included Darcy Pennington’s two-RBI double.

Gleason (13 strikeouts) and Tolfa (10 strikeouts) both pitched

with little margin for error and were victimized by four errors

apiece in the first game. All three runs in the game were unearned.

Corona del Mar (8-7) loaded the bases with one out in the top of

the seventh and a walk to sophomore Allie Duernberger brought in

Amanda Hinton, pinch-running for Elena Redelsheimer, with the tying

run.

Gleason struck out the next batter, but the play was only

beginning.

Alex Elias broke toward home after a passed ball on strike 3, but

retreated back to third base, CdM Coach Nichole Thompson described.

Newport catcher Julianne Bass threw to the third baseman in a

pick-off attempt with both Elias and Michele Allred, who singled

three times in the game, standing on third. The Newport third baseman

turned in attempt to get Allred, but the throw sailed into right

field and Elias scored with the eventual winning run.

Tolfa shut down the Tars in the final inning.

“We came out strong and showed we deserve to win and get them back

for the Northwood tournament,” CdM four-year varsity player Heather

Lohrman said.

Newport defeated CdM, 3-1, in the tournament March 26.

“We’re trying to limit our errors because errors are what other

teams are scoring on,” Thompson said.

Gleason, who fell to 7-3 this season with the Game 1 loss, led off

the first with a double and scored on an error.

Davis also praised CdM’s comeback.

“[The Sea Kings] get up for us,” Davis said. “Nichole pushes them

good. They could have easily given up in the seventh inning and lay

down. We left the door open and they took advantage of it.”

Both teams rested some of their starters in the second game,

giving reserves playing time.

Sailor bats awoke, with five players tallying two hits apiece

including Bass (RBI double), Darci Pennington (2 for 3, two runs, two

RBIs), Messersmith (RBI triple), freshman Lauren Talbott (2 for 4,

home run, two runs, one RBI), and Sasha Grumman. Grumman batted for

the first time this season after having surgery on her right shoulder

in December.

Talbott’s first varsity home run to lead off the third hit the top

of the left-field fence before falling behind it.

Newport tallied 14 hits in the second game, but only five in the

final four innings as Dempsey held the hosts scoreless the final

three frames.

CdM scored twice in the fifth to make it, 10-2, and prevent the

10-run mercy rule from taking effect. Lauren Gega’s single plated

Morgan Jones, who reached on a walk, and Duernberger, who tallied one

of her two singles in the game.

Nonleague

Game 1

Corona del Mar 2,

Newport Harbor 1

Score by Innings

*--*

CdM 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 2 4 4

Newport 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 3 4

*--*

Tolfa and Schulte; Gleason and Bass. W -- Tolfa, 8-6. L --

Gleason, 7-3. 2B -- Gleason (NH).

Game 2

Newport Harbor 10,

Corona del Mar 2

Score by Innings

*--*

CdM 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 - 2 4 4

Newport 3 6 1 0 0 0 x - 10 14 1

*--*

Dempsey and Schulte; Messersmith, Talbott (5) and Bass and Mello

(4) and Gautschi (5) and Mello (6) and Gautschi (7). W --

Messersmith, 4-0. L -- Dempsey, 0-1. 2B -- Bass (NH), Knight (NH). 3B

-- Messersmith (NH). HR -- Talbott (NH).