Hailee Rios hits 3-run homer to tie score and Aliyah Huerta-Leipner scores game winner on an errant pick-off throw and beat Dos Pueblos 5-4 in 10 innings Friday at Dale Okinaka Field and sweep the season series.
The Royals loaded the bases in the 10th on a singles by Aliyah Huerta-Leipner and Savannah Tait and a walk to Hailee Rios. They scored the winning run after a strikeout and an errant pickoff attempt at third base. Huerta-Leipner came home for the go-ahead run.
Huerta Leipner retired DP in order in the bottom of the 10th and the Royals celebrated the victory that clinched second place in the Channel League. They are now 7-3 in league and 17-7 overall.
“This is the first season sweep of DP by San Marcos in memory,” San Marcos coach Jeff Swann said. “I was told it’s been 26 years since this has been accomplished. I am so proud of the effort of all our players and how they conduct themselves on and off the field – with the highest level of character, integrity and sportsmanship.”
Huerta-Leipner came in for relief of Rios in the third inning and allowed no runs on four hits.
Dos Pueblos scored three runs against Rios in the first inning and added a run in the third for a 4-0 lead. Anya Schmitz led off with a single, Lauren Gerken sacrifice bunted her to second and Nova Sinskul singled for a RBI. Sienna Wagner followed with a walk, Janet Salas bunted to score Sinskul and Elly Cutcliffe singled to drive in Wagner for a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Sinskul doubled and scored on a single by Wagner.
San Marcos got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning on a two-out walk to Hailey Fryklund, a double by Claire Early and a RBI single by Morgan Jensen.
The Royals caught DP in the sixth. With one out, Lauren Pitchford and Huerta-Leipner singled and Hailee Rios followed with a monster home run to straightaway left field to tie the game at 4-4.
The Fresno State-bound Rios was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two walks, one intentional. Huerta-Leipner had a big day at the plate, too, going 3-6. On the mount she went seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out nine.
Tait also went 3-6 and Jensen was 2-5. All the other San Marcos starters had at least one hit. The Royals outhit DP 16-9.