Wells Combined School

After dropping the first game of the twin bill against Carlin by a final score of 17-5 in six innings — losing to the Lady Railroaders for the second time of the season — the Lady Leopards gathered themselves and bounced back with a convincing 11-run victory in the finale, winning 13-2 in five frames.

In the top of the first, Carlin threatened to put up another big number but was held to one run — sophomore Kayona Christensen crossing on a passed ball.

Wells evened the tally in the home half as freshman Aryanna Rodriguez lifted a fly ball to center field, got on her horse and rounded the bases for an inside-the-park homer.

In the bottom of the second, the Lady Leopards went to the front for the first time in the doubleheader — and for good — plating five runs.

With one out, junior Liz Rivera worked a walk, stole second and third and scored on an error behind the plate — which also gave a free stroll home to freshman Joslynn Vallejo.

Senior Matti Kooi with a single on the ground up the middle and was driven in with Wells’ second inside-the-yard home run on a fly ball to left field by freshman Khloe DelRio — who pushed the advantage to 5-1.

On the next at-bat, Rodriguez earned her second inside-the-park homer — the Lady Leopards’ third of the game — tagging a grounder through the left side for a 6-1 lead.

After Christensen led off and was hit by a pitch in the top of the third, Carlin was retired in order — DelRio firing two strikeouts.

In the home half of the third, Wells sophomore Andreina Mercado led off and reached with an error at first base.

She stole second base and scored with an error by the catcher, pushing the margin to 7-1.

The damage was limited, as Carlin freshman Mariah Ramirez caught a line drive on a well-struck ball and doubled off a runner at first with a throw to senior Danyel Micheli.

With two away in the top of the fourth, Carlin gained back a run as a sophomore Elizabeth Clancy — running for freshman pitcher Abigail Caple — scored with an error behind the plate.

DelRio maintained a 7-2 lead with her second punchout of the frame.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Leopards put up another solid number — crossing four runs.

Rodriguez led off with a walk and was brought around with a triple in the air to left field by sophomore Adriana Aguilar, who scored on the following AB with a single to center by sophomore Grace Otto.

With two gone, Rivera gave the Lady Leopards their fourth inside-the-park dinger — driving in two — scoring herself and junior Evelyn Walz with a fly ball to left field.

Carlin managed a one-out double to left field in the top of the fifth by Christensen, but she was caught in a pickle and was tagged out by Rivera after a throw from third by Kooi.

DelRio fanned the next batter, who was out after a dropped-third strike.

In the bottom of the fifth, Wells walked it off early.

DelRio led off with a double to left field, and Rodriguez gave the Lady Leopards their fifth inside-the-park homer — Rodriguez’s third — driving in DelRio and herself with a hard groundball up the middle to deep-center.

Wells closed the doubleheader with a bounce-back win of 13-2 in five innings by the mercy rule.

At the plate, Rodriguez finished a perfect 3-for-3 — all hits going for inside-the-yard homers — driving in four runs and scoring four of her own.

Kooi hit 2-for-3 and crossed once, and DelRio batted 2-for-4 — posting a dinger and a double — with two RBI and a pair of runs.

Otto closed 1-for-1 with an RBI, and Vallejo was 1-for-1 with a run scored.

Rivera went 1-for-2 with a home run inside the park, two runs and two RBI — Aguilar rounding outs the knocks and going 1-for-2 with an RBI triple and scoring once.

For Carlin — which was held to one hit — Christensen was 1-for-1 with a double and scored a run.

Without a knock, Clancy posted the Lady Railroaders’ other run from a courtesy role.

In the circle, DelRio allowed two-unearned runs on one hit with eight strikeouts and four walks over five frames in the complete-game win.

Caple took the loss and gave up 11 runs — nine earned — on 10 hits with eight free passes and two Ks across four frames.

Sophomore Joey Drown allowed two-unearned runs on one hit without recording an out.