Having two outs does not scare the East Union softball team.
After Danielle Ramos hit into a 6-3 double play in the bottom of the fourth inning Tuesday, forcing Bella Anchundo at second, leadoff batter Dani Godoy came to the plate and reached on a single.
In fact, the next eight batters in a row reached, and by the time the dust settled the Lancers had tallied 11 hits and scored nine runs on the way to a 23-8 five-inning mercy rule drubbing of Sierra in Valley Oak League action at Garvine Field.
Ramos (home run, two RBI, three runs) and Anchundo (4 for 5, two RBI, triple, two runs) got their licks in later in the inning.
Batting eighth, Anchundo belted a two-run triple scoring Bradee Jeffery and Cali Blevins (2 for 4, two RBI, double, run).
“Sierra is one of our biggest rivals and mine too because some of my travel-ball teammates are on that team,” Anchundo said. “We were down in the first inning and I wanted to do anything to keep our spirits up by getting on base.”
Ramos followed with a two-run home run, capping the day’s scoring.
“I have been having a pretty rough season hitting,” Ramos said. “It felt pretty good to come back and have something solid.
“It felt good to end strong.”
East Union (7-1 VOL) may have ended strong, but the Lancers certainly did not start that way as the Timberwolves (4-5, 4-6) took advantage of two East Union errors and belted out five first-inning hits to take a 7-0 lead before the Lancers had their first at-bat.
“When we came up for our first at-bat I told the girls two things were going to happen today,” East Union coach Brian Goulart said. “I told them that my good friend Frank Johnson was watching them and he was fighting cancer. And if he could fight cancer every day of his life, then they could fight back from seven runs down to a team we beat 15-1 last time.
“I told them we might not win this game, but we were going to fight on every at-bat because that first half of the first inning was the worse inning I have ever been involved in, either playing, coaching or watching. There was no energy, no want to, no nothing. And the second thing I told them was that if they wanted to win a league championship, they needed to show some mustard, because what they had done did not show a championship-worthy team.”
With five Sierra runs across in the first inning, Hayley Leonard (2 for 2, four RBI) took to the circle for the Lancers. She struck out the first batter she faced, gave up a two-RBI single to Lisette Mejias and struck out the next batter to end the inning.
“When I came in, I knew I had to get the job done,” Leonard said. “I wanted to get us out of that inning so we could come in and hit and rally up like we always could and get the runs in.”
The Lancers racked up 20 hits with Allie Parker (4 for 5, RBI, double, four runs), Savina Molina (3 for 4, three RBI, triple, two runs), Chloe Agueda (2 for 2, two RBI, triple, three runs, two walks) and Mackenzie Salgado (2 for 4, three RBI, double) rounding out the East Union attack.
The first five Sierra batters of the game reached and scored. Mejias walked, Mia Guevara reached on an error, Nicole Gardner (double, two runs) walked, Samanth Lorge doubled in Mejias and Guevara and Cheyanne Torrez doubled in Gardner.
Following a groundout, Mikayla Guarascio (2 for 3, RBI, run) and Taylor Perez (2 for 3, run) both singled and then scored on Mejias’ double for a 7-0 lead.
“The girls started off with a great first inning,” Timberwolves coach Don Hughes said. “And then we lost momentum a little bit.
“But they are fighters — we fought to the end. It is what it is but we will be back next time.”
 
Junior varsity
East Union 15, Sierra 3 (5)
Emma Silva helped the Lancers (7-0, 17-2) remain undefeated in league play, pitching for all five innings while going 4 for 4 with an RBI and a double.
Heighlee Moser (2 for 3) got both her hits in same inning and drove in three runs and Savannah Wilkerson was 2 for 4 with an RBI.