By Patrick Dillon @PDillon_SGN
REEDLEY – On Wednesday, June 13, the Red squad emerged victorious over the Blue squad 5-2 at Reedley College’s softball diamond where the 2nd Annual Rural County All-Star Game took place.
While the Red team took the lead for good in the third inning, one inning earlier told a different story. In a bases-loaded situation, Porterville’s Molly Mulvaney lined a single back up the middle which rolled into the outfield right to Lindsay’s Danielle Jauregui at center field. Jauregui misjudged the speed of the ball and overran it, an error that allowed Mulvaney to get into a successful scoring position. With that run, the score was 2-0.
Strathmore’s Beatrice Mata swings the bat during her only plate appearance for the Blue team. Photo by Patrick Dillon
Over the next two innings, the Red squad cut into their deficit and secured the win. In the bottom of the second inning, Monache’s Kailyn Castle drove in the first run for the Red squad off a single to center.
While the run made it 2-1, the Red team would have had a chance to take the lead had it not been for a double play. Corcoran’s Alize Garcia and Tulare Western’s Madelyn Duran reached third and second safely, but got a little greedy. Garcia took too big of a lead around third, and was tagged out in a run down. Soon after Duran was also tagged out trying to get back to second.
The outcome of the aggressive play was quickly put in hindsight one inning later as the Red squad took the lead for good. some help from the Blue squad’s center fielder. The Red squad’s third single in a row to lead off the inning came from Redwood’s Emma Ruth. Her hit bounced off the fielder’s glove and away toward the outfield. The error allowed Mia Reynolds of Tulare Union and Jessenia Castillo of Monache to score making it 3-2 Red squad. One batter later the second of the Tulare Western duo, Brittney Callison, scored Ruth when her single bounced over the center fielders head making it 4-2. Castillo batted the squads last batter in.
Of the five local athletes who played in the game Lindsay’s Danielle Jauregui saw the most time on the field. Her first appearance in center field during the second inning started an on and off rotation during the second, fourth, and sixth innings. The only plate appearance for her came in the fourth when she hit a ground out. She did get a chance to pinch run, but was forced out at third.
“I was a little rusty, but I had fun playing with all these girls from all different levels,” Jauregui said.
