Coronado’s Spangler overcomes struggles in win
One of the major points of emphasis this season for Coronado’s softball team is to prevent big innings by the opposition.
Cougars pitcher Tatum Spangler had to work hard to make that happen Wednesday.
Spangler labored through the first four innings before settling down, and host Coronado took advantage of six errors by Las Vegas to earn a 6-1 victory.
Basia Query was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Dylan Underwood went 2-for-2 with two doubles, three runs and a stolen base for the Cougars (15-4, 7-1 Sunrise League), who moved into sole possession of second place.
“Every game is important in this league for seeding later on,” Coronado coach Melissa Krueger said. “We knew we had to come out and put the pressure on. We knew they have a good pitcher who’s been pitching very well lately, so we knew we had to get up there and attack and try to score first.”
Spangler needed 98 pitches to get through the first four innings as she struggled to find the strike zone. She escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the first inning and walked the bases loaded in the third before getting a groundout to end the threat.
Sabrina Saldate had a run-scoring single in the fourth to cut Coronado’s lead to 4-1, but Spangler retired 10 of the final 11 Wildcats batters in order.
Spangler finished with nine strikeouts and walked five while allowing five hits.
Saldate went 2-for-3 with a stolen base to lead Las Vegas (5-2, 5-2).
“Tatum struggled the first couple innings getting the first-pitch strikes in there,” Krueger said. “Working behind in the count is always a struggle with the pitcher, and we’ve been working on her all year trying to get ahead in the count. And I think the last couple innings she started off with a first-pitch strike and was able to make her pitches.”
Query, a Utah Valley signee, had an RBI double in the first inning, and the Cougars struck for three runs in the third.
Underwood and Query scored when Jaiden Johnson reached on a two-base error. Johnson then stole third and scored one batter later on a groundout by Brooke Younie.
Coronado tacked on two runs in the sixth courtesy of a run-scoring single by Query and an error.
“We’ve been talking about all season hitting your pitch, really focusing on that one pitch that you can hit and taking away the pitcher’s pitches,” Krueger said. “It didn’t matter where in the lineup we were, we were going to be able to put the ball in play. And when you put the ball in play, good things happen.”
Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ