Velarde’s fresh approach helps Mustangs blank Aggies

Shadow Ridge senior Casey Velarde has taken a new approach to hitting: Be patient, stop swinging under the ball, and stay on top of it.

The outlook paid off Friday.

Velarde hit a pair of RBI singles to lead the Mustangs to a 5-0 win over host Arbor View.

“I’ve been having some trouble with my swing,” Velarde said. “Everyone kept telling me to swing over the top, and I finally stayed on top today. My hitting has gotten so much better. I’ve been practicing so hard.”

Velarde battled deep into a nine-pitch, 3-2 count against Arbor View starting pitcher Ashlyn Ames before lining a grounder between shortstop and third that plated Krislyn Campos in the top of the fifth inning to stretch a Shadow Ridge (5-4, 3-2 Northwest League) lead to 3-0.

“(Velarde’s) two hits were clutch, and we definitely needed them,” Shadow Ridge coach Cindy Winter said. “She’s a senior who comes through at a time when you need her.”

Velarde added an insurance run in the top of the seventh as she ripped another RBI single to right field for the game’s final run.

Campos, who went 2-for-2 with two runs and two walks, hit a bloop single in the top of the fifth inning that scored Danielle Buecker to make it 2-0.

Shadow Ridge senior pitcher Jasmine Bouie tossed a seven-hitter and worked out of several tight spots to hold off the Aggies.

Bouie threw 100 pitches, including 51 strikes, in seven innings in which she struck out one and walked five.

In the first inning, Bouie got Arbor View’s Dacia Sykes to ground into an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the first.

An inning later, the Mustang pitcher escaped trouble by getting Nichole Diaz to ground out with the bases loaded. In the third, the Aggies had two base runners with one out, but Bouie again worked out of danger.

The Aggies (8-6, 1-4) stranded 10 runners and made two key base-running errors.

Shadow Ridge catcher Mary Jordan caught Karli Lehr sleeping off second base that ended a fifth-inning threat, and the Mustangs threw out Amber Raab as she took a wide turn toward second base following her one-out single to center field in the bottom of the sixth.

Jordan contributed two hits, and Dannette Daguiar supplied an RBI and a run for Shadow Ridge.
Lehr finished 2-for-4 for Arbor View.