Softball Defeats Lassen in Home Opener; Ninth Inning Rally Caps Falcon Victory
Feb 23, 2017 12:00AM ● By Source: Ronald Richardson, Folsom Lake CollegeCatcher Gabby Fruciano had an RBI single and played great defense behind the plate.
Women’s Softball
Having endured two weeks’ worth of rainouts, spillway failures, and drenched fields, the FLC softball team finally got a chance to play their second game of the season on Wednesday afternoon, their first at Falcon Diamond in 2017. The rust was apparent in the early innings as the Falcons failed to get a hit until the bottom of the third. Meanwhile, Lassen had built a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third innings. But in the fourth, the Falcons’ bats awoke as they tied the score on runs by Brie Maddux and Kelsey Liddell. With their confidence growing, the Falcons continued to put the ball in play as they added a run in the fifth on Gabby Fruciano’s RBI single that scored Amanda Miller to make it 3-2. With the Cougars threatening in the sixth, the Falcon defense stepped up with big plays by Liddell at second and Mickaela Robertson in centerfield. The Falcons added two unearned insurance runs in the sixth on a single by Liddell and a 2-error bunt by Robertson before pitcher McKenna Rickles shut down the Cougars in the seventh to earn the win.
The victory was the first for new Falcon head coach Jenna Alexander, who was pleased with the way her team competed. “We didn’t back down after we fell behind. We kept grinding, kept putting the pressure on the opponent. Our defense made some key plays and it paid off,” noted the coach.
The Falcons’ next game is scheduled for next Tuesday, a home doubleheader against Los Medanos… weather permitting. Saturday’s doubleheader at College of the Redwoods has already been cancelled due to the weather and field conditions in Eureka. Instead, they’ll play a doubleheader at FLC on Friday, February 24.
Men’s Baseball
Trailing 4-2 and down to their last two outs on Saturday afternoon at College of Marin, the FLC baseball team staged a remarkable ninth inning rally that saw them score 10 runs, resulting in a wild 12-4 Falcon victory. The Falcons had trailed since the second inning, when the Mariners scored on three walks and a balk by Falcon pitcher Grant Dragmire. Dragmire had been FLC's most consistent starter through the first 10 games, but control issues plagued him on Saturday. He loaded the bases in the third with a walk and two hit batters before a double and a groundout brought in three more Mariner runs for a 4-0 lead. But the FLC bullpen shut down the Mariners the rest of the way, with Cody Lindsey and Austin Beard each pitching three shutout innings. In the fourth, the Falcons bunched four singles to produce two runs that cut the deficit to 4-2. The score remained that way until the fateful ninth, when the Falcons took advantage of three Mariner errors but also provided six hits, including a John Mook triple and a Carson McCusker homer (his fifth of the season) to blow the game open. The win improves the Falcons' season record to 6-5 and was their fourth win in their last five games.
Upcoming Sports Schedule
Fri Feb 24 Softball vs Redwoods at FLC, 12 noon and 2:00 pm
M/W Tennis vs Solano at FLC, 1:00 pm
Sat Feb 25 Baseball at Porterville, 12 noon
Softball at Delta (Stockton), 12 noon and 2:00 pm