By Juan H. Estrada
Softball two-way star Madison Mendez won 14 games this year, batter over .300 and slugged over .500 but it was a funky play in the final game of the season that had fans scratching their heads. She was charged with throwing an illegal pitch.
Best thing that could have happened. The mysterious call enraged her manager and fired up her team on its way to a 6-4 win over Mesa College.
Verbal fireworks erupted in the 3rd-inning because of confusion interpreting the rules. On a 1-0 count, Mendez was called for throwing an illegal pitch, the first time for the pitcher who started 35 of the team’s 39 games this year. Two pitches later an even longer delay occurred stemming from the Olympians’ manager arguing over the balls and strikes count.
Tempers flared and it appeared for a few moments that the umpire was losing control of the game. After a lengthy delay and a few deep breaths, the umpire decided to resume the game without altering the count. Mendez kept her cool and wiggled out of a jam.
Southwestern’s Shohei Ohtani did it all by pitching a gem, hitting some rockets that drove in runs and turning in stellar defense.
Daniela Sandez, Elyssa Garcia and Haley Oceguera joined Mendez on offense swinging big bats. Sandez and Oceguera also contributed some outstanding base running that led to scores.
Sandez electrified her teammates and fans with a laser beam of a throw from deep centerfield that appeared to nail a runner at the plate. Catcher Kassidy Harper made an outstanding tag in a cloud of dust as the crowd and the Jaguars exploded into roars of celebration.
The jubilation was cut short when the umpire, in a delayed call, waved the runner safe.
Jaguar players and fans howled in protest, but Mendez again was all composure. Two batters later she accidently hit an Olympian batter and the same umpire who barely maintained order earlier inexplicably decided it was time for a macho show of authority. He removed his mask and glared toward the Jaguar bench and raised both hands over his head.
“We are finished here already?” he asked, presumably rhetorically.
Southwestern refused the bate. Mendez struck out the next Olympian on three pitches.
Between innings, however, the Jaguars’ manager was informed that he had received his first official warning. Shrugs ensued.
It was Mesa that needed to be warned that a Jaguar outburst was coming. In the bottom of the 4th Devyn Krystek singled, but was injured running to first. Angela Allen came in as a pinch runner. Sandez hit a smash that ate up the third baseman and everyone was safe. Oceguera followed with her second hit of the day to load the bases for the Jaguars’ hottest hitter, Kassidy Harper. The slugging catcher knocked in two runs to hand the Jaguars the lead.
Jaguars defense shined all afternoon but was especially spectacular in the 6th. Jaguars third baseman Bella Hurtado made an athletic lunge to spear a line drive. Second baseman Oceguera also made a stellar catch on a line drive. Harper then leapt from her catcher’s crouch into a full sprint and completed an outstanding diving catch in foul territory. The back-to-back-to-back stellar plays took the wind out of Mesa’s sails. Their season was over.
Southwestern escaped with a 6-4 victory to cap a tough but inspiring season.
Four players—Kassidy Harper, Madison Mendez, Elyssa Garcia and Haley Oceguera—finished the season with batting averages over .300. The dynamic duo of Mendez and Harper both slugged over .500. Harper finished her incendiary season with six homeruns, a .371 batting average and slugging percent of .643. She also did a Joe DiMaggio/Tony Gwynn, walking more than she struck out.
Iron-armed pitcher Mendez appeared in 35 of the 39 games. She completed 24 and racked up 14 wins, including several where she pitched both games of a doubleheader. Madison Villaescusa also recorded three complete games.
Jordyn Beatty led the Jaguars with 21 walks and tied with Daniela Sandez, for the team lead with five stolen bases without getting caught.
Photo Courtesy of Abe Photography / SC Jaguars