Prep softball: Arlington 3, Jackson 2

Published 8:56 pm Tuesday, April 24, 2012

MILL CREEK — Arlington pitcher Ronnie Ladines hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie on the way to a 3-2 Arlington win over Jackson.

Arlington has yet to lose a league game and moved to 9-0 in the Wesco North with the victory, but the win was by no means a foregone conclusion. Were it not for Alyssa Campbell’s slightly unorthodox base hit to give Arlington a 3-1 lead, the game could have been very different.

Lynsey Amundson followed Ladines’ home run with a double, bringing Campbell to the plate with two outs. Jessica Roy threw a pitch that hit the dirt before reaching home plate. It bounced, Campbell swung, and put the ball into right field.

“It was like cricket. It was just crazy,” said Jackson head coach Kyle Peacocke.

The score would remain 3-1 until Jackson threatened in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Molly McCall doubled, then advanced to third on a passed ball. She scored on a ground ball, and another base hit put the tying run on, but a line drive to the shortstop put an end to the rally.

Peacocke felt his team did well against league-leading Arlington. “It was a really well played game. … I thought our kids really battled. We had some good at bats. We hung in there and gave them a run for their money.”

When asked about Jackson’s playoff picture, Peacocke said his team was battling it out in a Wesco South that is “kind of muddled up right now.”

“We’re kind of in the middle of the pack but fighting for playoff positioning,” Peacocke said.

At Jackson H.S.

Arlington0100020—382

Jackson0001001—261

Ronnie Ladines and Lynsey Amundson. Jessica Roy and Kayla Ellis. WP—Ladines. LP—Roy. 2B—Jesica Roy (J) 1, Molly McCall (J) 1, Lynsey Amundson (A) 1. 3B—Alyssa Campbell (A) 1. HR—Ronnie Ladines (A) 1. Records—Arlington 9-0 league, 13-1 overall. Jackson 4-4, 5-8.