PHOTOS BY LON FRENCH
Taft High players traded prom-night formals for game-day jerseys Saturday and waltzed off with a non-conference doubleheader home sweep of Colton.
“Today was an interesting day,” said Taft softball coach Sandy Stuart, whose squad overcame illness and injury to slay the Vikings in two games shortened by the state’s 10-run mercy rule.
Sophomore starter Emma Coulter conquered Colton with a pair of four-hitters for 11-1 and 12-2 victories despite fighting off the effects of a fever. Sophomore catcher Hailee Danneker went 3-for-3 with three runs in the first game, while freshman outfielder Kyla Knott went 4-for-4 with three runs in the second.
“Emma has a lot of weight on her shoulders being sick and the only pitcher on the team,” Stuart said. “She has to come out and throw when she isn’t feeling good at all. She pushed through and was able to throw both games.”
Coulter pitched nine shutout innings — surrendering just one run in the third inning of the six-inning first game, and two in the third inning of the five-inning second – to help the Lady Tigers improve to 14-7 in the non-league twinbill.
“We are still battling the same illnesses and injuries as before,” Stuart said, “but we made some solid contact at the plate, which was important.”
Free-swinging freshman Claira Tolan returned to the lineup at shortstop after suffering a sprained ankle and contributed three hits in six trips, including two doubles, scored three runs and drove in one for the Tigers.
“Having Claira’s bat back in the lineup was huge for us,” Stuart said. “She is aggressive and makes good contact.”
Sophomore Corey VanDamme had two hits and three RBIs in the opener for the Tigers, who scored seven times in the fourth, while freshman Kayla Lininger drove in two runs.
Lininger drove in four runs, and Coulter three in the second game, while Danneker went 3-for-3 with a triple, two runs and an RBI. Senior Naomi Rini, junior Anna Ortiz and Tolan also scored two runs each for the Tigers, who scored four runs in the third inning and six in the fourth.
Knott stole three bases in the sweep for fourth-ranked Taft, in first place and undefeated in West Valley League play at 4-0.
Freshman first baseman Madelyn Robinson had three of the eight hits, including a triple, for the Vikings (6-9, 3-2 Class 3A PacWest).
Taft resumes league play at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Amity (7-6, 3-2).
“Now we need to rest and get ready for Amity,” Stuart said. “Hopefully, some of these ailments will start to go away.”
Taft 11, Colton 1
COLTON AB R H BI
Madison Olsen 3 0 1 1
Anna Wimsatt 3 0 0 0
Brooklyn Olsen 3 0 1 0
Courtney Weinberger 3 0 0 0
Madelyn Robinson 2 0 2 0
Madelynne Pierce 2 0 0 0
Katelyn Dutton 3 0 0 0
Kaia Schrosk 2 1 0 0
Renee Richardson 1 0 0 0
Lauren Reed 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 23 1 4 1
TAFT AB R H BI
Kyla Knott 4 1 0 1
Naomi Rini 4 1 1 0
Hailee Danneker 3 3 3 0
Emma Coulter 2 0 1 0
Kayla Lininger 3 1 1 2
Alyssa Tanksley 3 1 0 1
Corey VanDamme 3 1 2 3
McKenzie Evenson 3 1 1 0
Claira Tolan 3 1 2 1
*Anna Ortiz 0 1 0 0
TOTALS 28 11 11 8
COLTON 001 000 — 1
TAFT 102 701 — 11
LOB–COLTON 6, TAFT 6. ERR–Katelyn Dutton, Madelynne Pierce, Naomi Rini, Corey VanDamme, Emma Coulter 2B–Madison Olsen, Claira Tolan, Corey VanDamme. 3B–Hailee Danneker. SB–Kaia Schrosk, Kyla Knott.
COLTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Katelyn Dutton 5.33 11 11 8 5 1 0
TAFT
Emma Coulter 6.00 4 1 0 2 5 0
PB–Courtney Weinberger (3), Hailee Danneker. BB–Madelyn Robinson, Madelynne Pierce, Kayla Lininger, Hailee Danneker, Alyssa Tanksley, Emma Coulter (2).
Taft 12, Colton 2
COLTON AB R H BI
Madison Olsen 3 0 1 0
Anna Wimsatt 2 0 0 0
Brooklyn Olsen 2 1 1 1
Courtney Weinberger 2 0 0 0
Madelyn Robinson 2 0 1 0
Madelynne Pierce 1 0 0 0
Kaia Schrosk 2 0 0 0
Lauren Reed 2 0 0 0
Renee Richardson 2 1 1 0
*Anna Ortiz 0 2 0 0
TOTALS 18 2 4 1
TAFT AB R H BI
Kyla Knott 4 3 4 1
Naomi Rini 4 2 1 0
Hailee Danneker 3 2 2 1
Emma Coulter 2 0 1 3
Kayla Lininger 3 1 2 4
Alyssa Tanksley 3 0 0 0
Corey VanDamme 3 0 1 1
Makena Cole 3 0 0 0
Claira Tolan 3 2 1 0
TOTALS 28 12 12 10
COLTON 002 00 — 2
TAFT 004 62 — 12
LOB–COLTON 3, TAFT 7. ERR–Madison Olsen (2), Brooklyn Olsen, Madelynne Pierce (2), Claira Tolan. 2B–Brooklyn Olsen, Kayla Lininger, Claira Tolan Corey VanDamme, Emma Coulter. 3B--Madelyn Robinson. HBP—Kayla Lininger. SACB–Anna Wimsatt. SB–Kyla Knott (2), Claira
Tolan.
COLTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Katelyn Dutton 4.33 12 12 8 3 3 0
TAFT
Emma Coulter 5.00 4 2 1 1 8 0
PB–Courtney Weinberger, Hailee Danneker (2). BB–Madelynne Pierce, Hailee Danneker,
Emma Coulter (2).
Class 3A West Valley League standings
