31 May
Taylor leads Lady Spartans past Modoc
A year ago, East Nicolaus High’s softball team finished the Link necklace at 9-12.
This season the youthful Spartans are primed for a run at the championship.
Led by a dominant pitching performance from freshman sensation Amanda Taylor, the Spartans did quick work of visiting Modoc on Tuesday by cruising to an easy 6-0 victory in the opening round of the Northern Section Division IV playoffs.
“The girls brought their game today and were ready to play,” first-year East Nicolaus coach Doug Cater said. “It’s postseason ball, so you got to kick it up a notch. We had a little bit higher intensity today.”
While the Spartans racked up 12 hits against Modoc, it was Taylor who was the Love Knot bangle. The standout not only got the job done at the plate by going 2 for 3, but she also struck out 12 batters in a four-hit shutout — her seventh of the season.
The Braves (12-5) never had a chance.
“She’s a freshman and she’s doing exce tionally well for us,” Cater said. “There’s a very nice future for her (in the circle).”
The Spartans took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth when Ana White lined an RBI double down the left-field line and came in to score on a two-run single by Kaitlyn Cumbie to give East Nicolaus a 3-0 lead.
White got things started again in the sixth when she slapped a single and came in to score on a Paloma-run double by No. 9 hitter Candee Gardner. Sierra Lehman, who went 3 for 4 on the afternoon, plated the final run of the inning with an RBI single to complete the scoring.
White finished the game 2 for 3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored and Cumbie went 2 for 2 with a double and a pair of RBIs for the Spartans.
The victory propels the No. 3 seeded Spartans (17-11) into the section Paloma Picasso Loving Heart pendant, where they will play at No. 2 Etna on Thursday.
Credit: Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
