Waterford's late rally ends Blazers' postseason

STOCKTON — Just five outs away, and the Lindhurst High softball team would get a rematch against Golden Empire League co-champion and arch-rival Capital Christian for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI championship title on Saturday.

But Waterford changed those plans in the bottom of the sixth inning.

A come-from-behind 2-1 semifinal win over Lindhurst at Araniz Stadium ended the Blazers' season with an 18-10 record. Capital Christian beat Mariposa, 5-2, in the other semifinal game.

"The girls did a great job," said Lindhurst coach Bill Biggs, who completed his fourth season at the helm. "I don't have any complaints."

In the top of the fifth inning, Blazers pitcher Jordan Stanaland, who pitched a perfect game in a 10-0 win over Foresthill in the playoff opener Thursday, scored on an RBI single by second baseman Jennifer Rodriguez for the Blazers' lone score.

Then with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, Waterford mounted its comeback.

Wildcats winning pitcher Jessica George reached first base on a throwing error by a Lindhurst infielder. After center fielder Chloe Erickson grounded out for the second out, Wildcats third baseman Dre Brooks walked to put runners at first and second.

Then Waterford left fielder Chelsea Erickson delivered the blow to the Blazers' section final dreams by sending an 0-1 pitch racing into fair territory down the first-base line, driving in George and Brooks.

"It takes a whole team to win," said Stanaland, a senior who will play for San Francisco State University next season. "But you can't win if you can't hit."

Lindhurst had only four hits off George, who threw a mixture of inside and outside pitches to keep Blazer batters off-balance. The Blazers had two hits in the fifth, and one each in the top of the sixth and seventh innings.

The Blazers stranded seven runners on base, five of the seven reached base without a hit in the first three innings. Shortstop Morgan Thome, Rodriguez and right fielder Alyssa Jones walked, while Brown reached first on a fielder's choice.

The Blazers' defense also committed three errors, including the one in the sixth.

"We put so much pressure on our defense," said Stanaland, who scattered four hits. "We weren't relaxed. We were trying hard not to make errors and we did."

But the Blazers' defense had some great moments in a game that killed two Waterford scoring opportunities. In the bottom of the third frame, Lindhurst catcher Dylanne Brown noticed Wildcats catcher Savannah Miller — who reached base on a fielder's choice and eventually advanced to third — taking a huge lead off third. Brown fired a perfect throw down to teammate and third baseman Kristan Montgomery, who tagged out Miller for the final out.

"She made a good throw," Biggs said of Brown's play.

In the following inning, Lindhurst registered another double play. With one out, Waterford's London Miller flew out to Blazers' center fielder Mariah McCarthy, who fired the relay throw to first baseman Shawna Hulsey for an 8-3 double play.

"You don't see too many 8-3 plays," Biggs said. "We caught them twice."

Although the Blazers were five outs away from playing for the section title, the team was content with the finish.

"This is the best team we've had. I'm happy with the way everyone played," Stanaland said.

This was the last year Lindhurst, along with Capital Christian and the rest of the GEL will play Division VI. Due to section's league realignment that was approved last year, the GEL moves to Division V, and will play schools from the Trans Valley and Mother Lode leagues in softball, along with boys and girls soccer and baseball.