Golden Tornadoes Softball Defeated by Trojans

Garden City maintained its perfect league form Friday with a comfortable 16-2 victory at home to Lawrence.

The Trojans are 7-0 in Conference 4, one game ahead of second-place South Side with three games remaining.

Garden City will meet the Lady Cyclones (7-1) on the final day of the season with a chance to clinch a playoff spot, but Trojans coach Marisa Reichman said her team can't afford to look that far ahead.

"That's the one thing I had to talk to the team about yesterday," she said. "We can't go into the last few games just assuming we're going to win and look to South Side, that could be our mistake."

"They need to be focused and take each game in the present," she continued. "That's when things happen. We'll take South Side when it comes."

On Friday, Garden City scored runs in all four innings of its game with Lawrence (2-6) before the umpires brought an end to the game on account of the 12-run mercy rule.

The Trojans were powered by impressive pitching and solid production up and down the lineup. Garden City starter Brigid Reina gave up one hit -- a second-inning single -- and issued six walks while striking out two. Shortstop Nicole Storz doubled twice and scored three runs. Gabrielle Zafonte went 3- for-4 with four RBIs and Alex Pappacena, Cat Dorn, Nicollete Samardich and Jen Wotczak each recorded two RBIs in the victory.

For Lawrence, first baseman Jen Rudolph drew two walks and scored a run, while Alex Tse walked and picked up the lone RBI. Gabby Golan was the losing pitcher, having allowed 15 hits and eight walks.

"This season has been up and down, like a non-stop roller coaster," Lawrence coach Linda Perrone said. "The pitching was good today but Garden City can hit, they're a good team."

"But we were unable to accomplish what we wanted and we need to improve on our hitting because that let us down," she added.

Garden City jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring all five runs with two outs. Back-to-back RBI singles from Dorn and Ferraro brought the hosts to a 2-0 lead, and Zafonte laced a triple to the left field fence to make it 3-0. Wotczak singled home Zafonte for the fourth run and center fielder Claudia Holub drove home Samardich who had walked and advanced to third.

The Trojans added four more in the second. Virginia Schieck scorched a triple that one-hopped the fence, and Storz lined an RBI double to center. Dorn and Zafonte walked to load the bases and Samardich plated two more runs with an opposite field base hit on the first pitch of the at-bat. Wotczak then picked up Zafonte from third with a run-scoring groundout.

In the third, Zafonte increased the lead to 11-0 with a two-out, two-run single.

Lawrence got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Rudolph walked to lead off the frame, advancing to third on ground outs by Golan and Linares. She scored one batter later on a passed ball, sliding home ahead of the tag.

"They were fighting hard and they got better toward the end," Perrone said. "Hopefully next time out we will be able to push a little bit earlier in the game."

Any slim hope of a rally was extinguished in the bottom half of the inning. The Trojans plated five runs on five hits and two walks to take a commanding 16-1 lead.

Samardich tagged up on a dropped infield fly ball and Pappacena drove home a pair with a one-out double. Dorn gave Garden City its 15th run with a base hit back up the middle, and Zafonte capped the scoring on an RBI single.

"We're doing well and I woulnd't expect anything less right now," Reichman said. "We were being patient and hitting bombs today."

Lawrence second baseman Castillo walked and scored on Melissa Garcia's ground ball to short, but Tse tapped the ball back to pitcher Reina for the final out.