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In the case of the Freedom-Oakley Falcons’ softball team, it needed a lot of Faith Derby, who blasted two homers in the final two innings, including a game-ending grand slam that capped a remarkable comeback in an 11-7 win over Alhambra-Martinez on Friday in a North Coast Section Division 1 quarterfinal.
Derby, a senior catcher, hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to tie it 7-7 two batters after Allyson Ferreira had hit a two-run homer.
In the seventh, two walks sandwiched a Ferreira double to load the bases with no outs, bringing up Derby, who swung hard and missed on the first offering from Sophia Aguilar.
The team’s No. 3 hitter, who entered as Freedom’s leader in average (.525), home runs (six) and RBIs (24), didn’t listen and on a 2-2 pitch drilled the ball over the fence.
Fifth-seeded Alhambra (20-6), which had won three straight titles at lower levels, looked like the dominant team from the outset behind shortstop Briana Perez (UCLA signee) and second baseman Karlee Sparacino.
Sparacino was 2-for-3 with a towering two-run homer in the fifth that gave Alhambra a 5-1 lead.
Ferreira (3-for-5, three runs), nicknamed “Nascar,” belted a two-run homer in the sixth, and after a single from Marissa Gonzales (3-for-4), Derby homered to left.
[...] the next inning.
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Derby, a senior catcher, hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to tie it 7-7 two batters after Allyson Ferreira had hit a two-run homer.
In the seventh, two walks sandwiched a Ferreira double to load the bases with no outs, bringing up Derby, who swung hard and missed on the first offering from Sophia Aguilar.
The team’s No. 3 hitter, who entered as Freedom’s leader in average (.525), home runs (six) and RBIs (24), didn’t listen and on a 2-2 pitch drilled the ball over the fence.
Fifth-seeded Alhambra (20-6), which had won three straight titles at lower levels, looked like the dominant team from the outset behind shortstop Briana Perez (UCLA signee) and second baseman Karlee Sparacino.
Sparacino was 2-for-3 with a towering two-run homer in the fifth that gave Alhambra a 5-1 lead.
Ferreira (3-for-5, three runs), nicknamed “Nascar,” belted a two-run homer in the sixth, and after a single from Marissa Gonzales (3-for-4), Derby homered to left.
[...] the next inning.
More...