Taft Midway Driller

By Dennis McCall

Taft College softball team hopes to ride momentum from last week's non-conference victories into action this week. The Cougar softball team, coming off a last-inning rally to beat College of the Canyons 12-10 for their first win of the season, hits the practice field this week to prepare for Saturday's home doubleheader against Hartnell (5-0). Games are at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

After losing their first five games, including an 11-0 rout in the first game of their home twin bill with Canyons, the Cougars bounced back to score six times in the bottom of the last inning to earn that elusive first win.

It was a seesaw affair through the first three innings with the Cougars emerging with an 8-6 lead, but Canyons scored three times in the fourth and once in the fifth to move ahead.

Sophomore first baseman Brinley Rosenberger led off the home half of the seventh with a line drive double to center field and moved up on a groundout. Leadoff hitter Alyssa Garcia drove an RBI single to center – her fifth hit of the game to finish 5-for-5 – that scored Rosenberger.
Shortstop Jessica Duran was safe on an infield error and third baseman Courtney Zimmerman slammed a three-run homer over the left field fence to win the game.

Rosenberger, Zimmerman, Jessica Silva and Allie Dobbs all had two hits apiece. Zimmerman's other hit was a double. Sophomore Andrea Garner got the win in relief of Jocelyn Reyes.