DUANE PROKOP/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL | Liberty softball player Francesca Foti throws a pitch against Foothill during the Patriots' 9-2 win over Foothill in a Sunrise Region playoff game at Majestic Park on Wednesday.
POSTED: Wednesday May 12, 2010
Liberty sophomore Francesca Foti took a secret onto the field Wednesday.
The Patriots’ starting pitcher was battling a severe cold and wasn’t even certain she would be able to play.
Foothill never noticed.
Foti overcame her illness to strike out 12 batters, and she helped herself by going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead Liberty to an 8-2 victory over the Falcons (17-13) in the Sunrise Region playoffs at Majestic Park.
The win lifted the Patriots into Thursday’s semifinal round, where they will play Green Valley at 6 p.m.
“I’m sick right now, but I think I actually play better when I’m sick,” Foti said. “I think I play better when I’m under pressure. It was hard to breathe, but I just worked through it.”
Foti’s teammates made her job a little easier by providing run support, starting in the opening inning. Megan Patras lined an RBI single to left field to give Liberty a 1-0 lead.
Diana Cassaro then helped the Patriots (23-8) jump out to a 4-0 lead in the third by driving in two runs with a single to left field.
Foothill scored a run in the fourth and another in the seventh, but Liberty’s four-run seventh gave Foti some breathing room. Carson Cooper’s home run in the sixth sealed the victory for the Patriots.
Liberty coach Kris Jensen said he never doubted Foti would come through, even with the health concerns.
“She’s been a go-to spark plug for us this year,” he said. “She’s pretty much been the pitcher who has won all our big games.”
Jensen said the win was particularly satisfying because it kept his team in the tourney’s winners bracket.
“It’s really hard once you lose a game, because then you have to play that back-to-back doubleheader (to get into the finals)” the coach said. “It’s important to stay in the winners bracket to give yourself an opportunity (to qualify for the state tournament).”
Cassandra English went 2-for-3 for the Patriots, and teammate Megan Patras was 2-for-4.
Myranda Mortel and Aricia Dami each had two hits for Foothill.
Green Valley 2, Basic 1 — A key ninth-inning error by the Wolves put Alicia Firelein at third base, and Carly Aughney drove her in with a single to right field to give the Gators a dramatic extra-inning win.
Green Valley (26-6) scored a run in the first, but Basic (19-6) knotted the score with one in the fifth, and the teams remained deadlocked until Augney’s late heroics.
Desiree Laswell tossed a complete-game six-hitter for Green Valley to earn the victory.
Firelein led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.
The Wolves will play Las Vegas (21-9) in an elimination game Thursday at 4 p.m.
Valley 4, Eldorado 3 — Winning pitcher Mickayla Romero drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the fifth, and the Vikings held on to complete a comeback victory over the Sundevils in an elimination game.
Taylor Schroeder was 2-for-3 to help Eldorado (15-15), which scored three runs in the first inning.
But Cristina Medina, Zoe Galindo and Romero had key hits in the fifth to help the Vikings (16-13) rally.
Las Vegas 4, Rancho 1 — Monique Hernandez threw a one-hitter, striking out 13, to help the Wildcats (21-9) eliminate the Rams (11-20).
Hernandez also went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for Las Vegas, and teammate Jasmina Salas was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Wildcats scored all four of their runs in the third inning.
to "ATrain" they got lucky in that win, we played bad and they played decent, but look what happened we killed them when it really mattered and we are headed to state, so looks like the "new sheriff" in town got shot down hahaha. GO GATORS! LETS TAKE STATE!
Coaches can build programs, ahem BG. Sometimes kids come on Zone Variance, sometimes they move. Knit picking parents are what ruin everything, and you let it get into your childs head and how they react to social interfaces, which by most of their gestures would lead to parenting. They sure can act tough but don't know how to spell! GOOD LUCK PLAYING COLLEGE BALL!
Oh and I heard liberty beat those too cool for school gators who worshipped a Billy White. LOL. Talk about coaches just filling in lineup cards. OKAY BUDDY! How about when Fairless was there, you tellin me kids didn't move to play there? BOBBY MAYO? Get a grip people. Is that a bell? I think school just got out.
Liberty finally beat the lazy Gators last night. GV may have more talent, but Liberty has more heart and wanted it more. With only 2 seniors, Liberty should be tops in the conference the next few years. Move over GV, there is a new sheriff in town!!
Mick is so right. why is the liberty game the headline??? it was a blow out, because foothills pitcher got hurt before the game or it would be a completely deffernt story.
apparently they didnt watch the game or else desiree and lacey would be the headline not liberty and their pitcher with a little cold. any real player would play through a cold! and yeah, if no one knew about the cold then how is it in the paper?? probably going around flaunting saying how "tough" she is playing with the sniffles. but every one knows if they lost that would have been their excuse of why they lost. lets be real. Foothill would have killed them if it wasnt for an unfortunate event!
OMG Gators - reporters can't be everywhere. Gators get written up all the time - why do you feel like you got dissed??? EVERY game/team deserves write-ups. But there aren't a zillion reporters. Why should it be gators? Selfish and stuckup u r!
I don't have a kid playing - but I am a softball fan. Gators - honestly....who do you think u r???
Right on Des I got my plane ticket
Great game gators, we did what we had to do to win, it was a great team effort, we all picked each other up when it was needed that is what a team does. as for everyone else, they dont see the hard work and time we put into our practices, and games. every game we win we deserve. lets keep it, and do what we do, and head to reno next week ! (: GO GATORS!
I was excited to read the news this morning, only to be disappointed!!! Liberty vs. Foothill gets the headline??? Really??? And even with that being said, no mention of Foothill's #1 pitcher trying to pitch with one eye shut. That was the real difference maker in that game.
Who decides what gets written up. I stayed way past all of the other games, as most observers did, to watch a fantastic pitching duel between Romo and Laswell.... 9 innings worth, and it was only worth 5 sentences to the sport's writers?!? Well I'm glad I seen it in person instead of relying on the news!
Agree with Mick! no disrespect to Frankie, she is an awesome athlete, but Gators vs Basic was the game of the day. The stands were packed, there were people all around the outfield fences. My bet is that old Jeffie Wollard was home eating supper by the time the game finished. As For jensen, he didnt build anything. You dont get to build a program in HS sports. you cant recruit. Frankie was a stud when she was 10. Same for Carson Cooper. Same for English and the rest of the cast at Liberty. These Girls Learn and hone their skills while playing A-Ball. Give the credit to the players, not the coaches. All they do is fill out the line up cards. Some of them cant even do that right.
mick, liberty rarely gets the spotlight and jensen has put a great program together after getting ran off coaching baseball where he was slowly developing a program as well. liberty was a dog, and always has been. hope liberty wins state in softball.
- an unbiased sports fan.
agree with Mick!
Wow did the reporters not watch the green valley basic game? Why is liberty the headline. Des and lacey both deserved their name in the spotlight for pitching amazing yesterday ! We understand the liberty pitcher is sick and she is getting better. That's great. But the gv and basic game deserved the headline. That will probably be the closest game played in regionals. Great job des(: way to do what you needed to do to come on top with the win and awesome hitting alicia. and great job lacey you pitched amazing. And both of the runs in my opinion weren't your fault at all. Keep your head up!
Heck of a game Gators. Romo definately brought her A game, but you cant hold those Gator bats down for too long. Sooner or later they will get you. Nice job Desiree. Way to keep your team in the game.
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