Foothill limits hiccups, rolls to softball victory over Tech

Foothill softball coach Tom Mayes has watched his team in recent games be haunted by what he calls the "E Monster."

"E," as in errors and excuses.

On Thursday, the Falcons might have exorcised the monster.

Except for a small hiccup in the fourth inning, the Falcons played well defensively, got a solid pitching performance from Alex Petrolia and consistently put the ball in play en route to a 5-1 win over visiting Tech.

"We were a little more mentally in the game," Mayes said. "They did a pretty good job. Everybody's head was in the game, and they were seeing the field. It's a step toward where we want to go."

Foothill (9-7, 2-2 Southeast) had lost four of its previous five games, allowing 38 runs in that span.

But Petrolia kept the Roadrunners (11-5, 1-3) off-balance most of the day, allowing only two hits and an unearned run. She struck out eight and walked two. Tech hit only two balls out of the infield.

The Falcons committed two errors, a dropped foul pop-up and a mishandled bunt -- both in the fourth, when Tech collected its only two hits and its lone run.

And Foothill got all the runs it needed in the first inning, albeit without much offense. A pair of Tech errors and two fielder's choices allowed one run to score, and Rhiana Balaun's sacrifice fly plated another run for a 2-0 lead.

Pamela Sakuma had three of the 10 hits for the Falcons, who struck out only once against Tech flamethrower Amanda Roark.

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.