Taft splits home doubleheader with Hartnell

Freshman Gillian Hale went 3 for 5 with 5 RBI to help lead Taft College to a 15-11 win over visiting Hartnell College in the opening game of a non-conference doubleheader on Friday. The slugfest continued in the second game as the Cougars come out on the losing end of a 9-7 contest that was called after five innings.

Taft totaled 17 hits in the opener, including four from Abrianna Carr (4 for 5). The Cougars scored three times in the first and added two more in the second to go out in front 5-2.

Hartnell put up four runs in the top of the fourth before the Cougars exploded in the bottom of inning for a huge 10-run rally. Taft sent 14 batters to the plate and totaled 7 hits. Hale drove in three runs during the outburst, hitting an RBI single and two-run double. Hale even stole home plate for a run as part of a double steal with Jacqueline Perez.

Leading 15-4, Hartnell didn't go down easy and scored six times in the fifth and a final run in the sixth.

Hale picked up the win, allowing 8 earned runs (10 runs) and 13 hits over 5 innings. She struck out three and walked two. Carr closed out the victory, tossing the final two innings while giving up a run and three hits.

Isabelle Martinez had a good game at the plate, going 3 for 5 with 1 RBI while Perez drove in three runs.

Game 2 got off to a bad start for the Cougars as Hartnell put scored seven runs in the top of the first off Carr. Taft for three runs back in the bottom the inning, with Anissa Bernal's RBI double being the big hit of the rally.  

Down 8-3, Perez singled home Hale in the third to cut the Hartnell lead in half. Another three-run rally in the fourth got Taft within one run at 8-7. Martinez smashed a two-run home run and Perez drove in Hale to give the Cougars momentum.

But Hartnell added an insurance run in the fifth to help secure its win.

Perez (2 for 3) drove in two runs in Game 2, giving her 5 RBI on the day. Martinez (2 for 3, 2 RBI), Hale (2 for 3, 3B, 3 runs), Bernall (2 for 3, 2B), and Madeline Abernathy (2 for 3) were all productive on offense.

Carr took the loss despite giving up just two earned runs. Six Taft errors led to five unearned runs. Carr went one inning before Hale finished up the contest in the circle, allowing two runs and six hits over four innings.

Taft, now 1-2, returns to action on Tuesday (Feb. 11) when the Cougars travel to Gavilan College in Gilroy for a doubleheader.