Megan Cunnison singles on a 3-2 pitch with bases loaded for the game-winning run
Hitting has been the strength of the San Marcos softball team this season, and the Royals needed all the hits they could muster to make up a four-run deficit in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s CIF-SS Division 4 second-round softball playoff game against Chaffey.
San Marcos came through in the clutch. It scored four runs on four hits in the seventh to tie the score and got two walks and a pair of hits, including a game-winner from Megan Cunnison in the bottom of the eighth, to pull out a dramatic 8-7 victory.
The Royals advance to a quarterfinal game at home against San Dimas on Thursday. San Dimas upset top-seeded Downey.
San Marcos coach Jeff Swann said the late-game hitting surge was a matter of his players keeping things simple at the plate.
“We just tried to keep it simple for them — one hit at a time, one pitch at a time; keep it small and don’t feel like you have to do it all in one swing,” he said. “I think all the hitters did that in that one big inning when we scored four runs to tie it up.”
The Royals had 11 hits in the game. Savannah Tait went 3 for 4 with a double to lead the way. Cunnison had two hits, including a double.
Cunnison was confident her team would come back from the 7-3 deficit.
“I didn’t doubt us because I knew we could come back, but it was little nerve-racking. Our team was able to pull it together,” she said.
