Give and Take Helps Hart Beat Chaminade, 3-1

NEWHALL —  The Hart High softball team used a fourth-inning rally and timely misplays by Chaminade for a 3-1 victory Thursday in a nonleague game at Newhall Park.

The Indians (7-1) trailed, 1-0, after 3 1/2 innings but struck for two runs in the fourth inning and another in the fifth to defeat the Eagles (1-3-1) for the third consecutive time in the past three seasons.

“Hart made us make some mistakes that we’re going to have to use as a learning experience,” Chaminade Coach Steve Herrington said.

“In the first four innings we had control of this game. We hit the ball hard and our defense was strong. But overall, we didn’t play our best softball today.”

In reality, Hart squandered a chance to at least tie the game in the second when two errors by the Eagles put runners at second and third with one out. Two strikeouts ended the threat.

Chaminade’s run came in the second. Amy Biersch singled, took second on a single by Erin Taylor, went to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single by Lauren Rousselet.

Hart seized the lead on one play in the fourth with two out and runners at second and third.

Pinch-hitter Sara Dean singled through the left side of the infield, scoring Kellie Nordhagen from third. Becky Bowen, running from second, rounded third and appeared to be hung up after rounding third when Eagle pitcher Maureen LeCocq fielded the throw from left fielder Amanda Pearlman.

LeCocq threw to third baseman Taylor, but in Taylor’s anxiousness to apply the tag, she allowed the ball to tip off her glove and into foul territory, sending Bowen home with the winning run.

Taylor figured in Hart’s run in the fifth when she charged to field a grounder off the bat of Courtney Sherlock. It appeared the ball was heading foul but Taylor grabbed it in fair territory and Sherlock was safe at first. A sacrifice bunt, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly produced the game’s final run.

“She has good days and bad days,” Herrington said of Taylor, who would have scored on the same play as Biersch in the second had she not fallen rounding third. “Sometimes she begins to get down on herself because she knows she’s a better player than she’s showing.”

Hart’s Amanda Fortune (5-0) used an array of riseballs and changeups to thwart the Eagles and Herrington, who coaches Fortune in club softball.

The sophomore, one of four pitchers on the Indians’ roster, allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked none.

The performance strengthened Fortune’s bid to be the team’s ace for the second consecutive season and Hart Coach Al Weil said she will remain in the circle for the foreseeable future.

“Your No. 1 pitcher, and Amanda is that right now, has to have playing time,” Weil said. “You can’t expect her to come through in big games if they haven’t had the innings.”

LeCocq (1-3-1) allowed four hits and three earned runs while striking out four and walking one.