Bella Nuno Homers Twice to Pace Dos Pueblos to a 10-3 Win Over San Marcos
April 6, 2023 | 9:02 pm
Riley Monroe of Dos Pueblos smacks a double that drives in three runs in the sixth inning against San Marcos. (Gary Kim / Noozhawk photo)
San Marcos was able to keep Dos Pueblos softball standout Bella Nuño quiet in their first Channel League encounter three weeks ago.
Nuño wasn’t about to go quietly in her final game against the Royals on Thursday.
The senior shortstop led off the game with a home run, hit a two-run blast in the fifth inning and scored a run in the sixth as the Chargers rolled to a 10-3 win to sweep the season series with San Marcos and remain undefeated in league play
The Chargers are 7-0 in league and 12-3 overall. San Marcos fell to 3-4 and 7-8.
Dos Pueblos coach Mike Gerken said Nuño was “super motivated” to have a big game at the plate. “She had a Bella slump, which is kind of odd. She regrouped from that and went back to work and worked on her swing. And she got the pitches she needed to hit and executed.”
Bella Nuño, shown in an earlier game, hit two home runs and had three RBIs in a 10-3 win over San Marcos. Lily Chubb / Noozhawk file photo
Her towering homer over the left-field fence to start gave the Chargers a huge boost in the crosstown rivalry game on the road.
“Both teams want to win this game so badly, so that’s just a great way to cut the tension and relax us a little bit,” said Gerken. “I think that helped us a lot.”
San Marcos assistant coach Emily Dietz, who was filling in for head coach Jeff Swann who was away on a work assignment, told the team not to worry about the first-inning homer.
“I told them you got to score to win anyways, so one run isn’t going to get them down too much,” she said. “I just think the biggest thing was Dos Pueblos had a lot of discipline at the plate today and we didn’t.
“It’s kind of hard to get something going when you’re not swinging at the right pitches and you’re trying to do too much with the ball.”
San Marcos starting pitcher Kate Guerra held DP scoreless for the next four innings. But the Chargers got their bats going again in the fifth.
They capitalized on two walks and erupted for five runs. Pau Avina started the inning with a walk and Trisha Lo followed with a ground ball that ricocheted off the second-base bag for a RBI double. Nuño then belted her second homer, a two-run shot over the fence in left-center field.
Mia Reveles executed her second bunt single of the game, Riley Moore drew a walk and the runners pulled off a double steal, and eventually scored.
“It’s a great advantage to have,” said Gerken of Reveles’ speed.
Anastasia Brunner brought in Reveles with a sacrifice fly and Moore scored on a ball hit to right field by Georgia Wilson to make it 6-0. Right fielder Emma Wilson made a nice play on the ball and and threw out Wilson at first base.
San Marcos was held hitless by Wilson until freshman Jessica Vega unloaded on a pitch for a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
“These girls know each other so well, so it’s just a matter of time,” said Gerken. “I kept emphasizing to the girls that San Marcos was not going away. And sure enough, two-run homer that same inning.
“That girl hit it pretty far. That was a nice shot.’
Dos Pueblos came right back and put the game away with three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. Monroe cleared the bases in the sixth with a double and Kacey Hurley came off the bench and hit a sacrifice fly to score Rylee Cathcart.
Dos Pueblos faces a tough challenge next week, taking on Rio Mesa in a battle of league unbeaten teams. The Chargers are at Rio Mesa on Monday and play at home on Wednesday.
Rio Mesa recently won the Michelle Carew Classic Silver Championship.
“They’ve got two girls that have committed to Division 1 colleges as pitchers, and they’ve got people coming out to watch them at our game. It’ll be a challenge for sure,” said Gerken.