Unearned run in 7th lifts Folsom over Granite Bay

Errors played a key role in Folsom High's varsity girls' softball team's 5-4 win over Granite Bay on Wednesday. In a game pitting two evenly matched teams, it came down to which team made the least and last of the errors, as Folsom made three during the game and Granite Bay made four. Folsom led 4-3 after two innings until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Grizzlies rallied to tie the score at four. Sami McKown led off the inning by being hit by a pitch from Folsom pitcher Raygan Mercado and Leilani Terrazas followed with a fly ball to the fence in left field which Mariah Wilson dropped to put runners on second and third base with one out. Eliana Snobar followed with a single to score pinch-runner Payton Castaneda to tie the game at four. Mercado, however, didn't allow the Grizzlies to score the go-ahead run, as she got the last two outs by strikeout to end the inning. In the top of the seventh with one out, Mercado was safe on an infield single and Devyn Huber was safe on a throwing error by Terrazas at shortstop which put runners on second and third with one out. Wilson redeemed herself for the drop in the previous inning, as she singled to left field to score Mercado in what turned out to be the game-winning run. Like Mercado, Granite Bay pitcher Cam Lincoln got out of the inning by striking out the last two batters. Castaneda led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but Folsom manager Sheena Jackson replaced Mercado with lefty Erica Bennett to face lefty leadoff hitter Madison Lopez. The moved worked, as Lopez tried to bunt by bunted the ball straight up in the air and Huber, Folsom's catcher, was able to catch the ball for the first out of the inning. Huber then made herself the defensive star of the game by throwing out Castaneda trying to steal on a wild pitch and then caught the last out of the game when Lincoln popped up a ball at home plate. "Raygan's been great for us all year and she comes ready to pitch every game," Jackson said. "They were at the top of the lineup and they had seen Raygan three times so we decided to go to Erica to change it up and give her a different look. Erica brings a very different look because she's a lefty and it worked out for us." Folsom scored two runs in the top of the first inning with two outs. Sophie Green and Mercado hit singles and Huber walked to load the bases before Faith Best hit a ground ball to shortstop and Terrazas threw the ball away, as both runs came into score. Granite Bay tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Lopez walked, moved to second on a wild pitch before an error by Folsom first baseman Sophie Green put runners on first and third. Cam Lincoln moved to second before McKown was robbed of a hit by a nice running catch by Shay Sacay in center field. Terrazas, however, came through with a double to the left-center field gap to knock in Lopez and Lincoln to tie the game at two. Folsom scored twice more in the top of the second inning. Presley Geissinger walked to lead off the inning and moved all the way to third on Makenna Padilla's sacrifice bunt. Xavia Hodgins drove in one run with a single and Green knocked in Folsom's fourth run with a double to left field. Granite Bay came back with one run in the bottom of the second inning, Jordan Feeny singled and Lopez later hit a two-out single to center field to score Feeny and bring Granite Bay to within one run, 4-3. The Grizzlies had began the week by giving undefeated Oak Ridge all they could want and more before the Trojans scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game, 6-5. This game had to aggravate the sting of Monday's loss all over again. "We fought Oak Ridge and we stayed neck and neck with them, but right now we're beating ourselves," Granite Bay coach Chelsea Rivera said. "The errors, the lack of focus, lack of energy, that's what is killing us. These close games that we should be winning, it's us beating ourselves. Right now, they've got to make the adjustments, they've got to focus in a little more or it's going to be a long season. "If we can get the errors cleared up, we're a solid team. Right now we're beating ourselves and we've got to fix it." The Grizzlies are 1-2 in Sierra Foothill League play and 4-4 overall. "I'd like to think this is going to be a playoff team, but it's going to take them within themselves to figure out what they want," Rivera said. "Because I can want playoffs all I want, but I can't be on the field for them." The win improved Folsom's record to 2-1 in league play and to 7-3-2 overall. "It was a nice win, but a little bit crazy," Jackson said. "Devyn played a great game. She's been light's out as our catcher. She takes her bruises back there, doesn't say a word and does her job. "Offensively, we were active on the base paths. I wish we would have bunted better, but we got some timely hits when we needed them. "We're in a tough conference and we have to bring our 'A' game every day. This was a big win and I'm super proud of the girls to find a way to win this game."