Torrey Pines Lady Falcons Softball

CARMEL VALLEY ---- Freshman power struck in the nick of time.

Torrey Pines High pitcher Rachel Nasland was one strike away from a victory over the Poway High softball team on Saturday.

But Poway freshman Catherine Seitz singled to right field to drive in the winning run, capping a two-run rally in the seventh inning for a 3-2 win that rewarded freshman pitcher Kourtney Shaw, who held the Falcons to five hits.

"When we were down to that last strike, I thought we were a game out of first place (in the Palomar League),' Poway coach Jim Bennet said. "We got three chances to score on Nasland and we made something out of two of them.

"That's a heck of a win to come back and play to the very end when we were on the cliff there. We tell the girls all the time to use all 21 outs wisely.'

Nasland was rolling along with a 1-0 lead heading into the sixth inning. At one point, she retired 12 straight Titans before Kristren Shiotani singled with one out.

After a flyout, Kathryn Duran doubled to left field, allowing Shiotani to score from first base for Poway (13-6-1, 2-1) to tie the game 1-1.

Torrey Pines (20-4, 1-2) grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the sixth when Julia Yacker's sacrifice fly scored Kelsey Buchanan, who had opened the inning with a ground-rule double.

Nasland stuck out the first two Titans she faced in the seventh inning and had a 1-2 count on Ashley Johnson.

"I was so nervous because I thought it was over,' Seitz said.

It wasn't.

Johnson grounded her second single of the game to left field and she stole second base, setting the stage for Danielle White's single to right to score Johnson.

White took second when the throw to the plate went to the backstop.

"I get nervous up there anyway,' Seitz said. "I knew I just had to make contact. Coach told me to hit the ball and have some confidence.'

With a 2-1 count, Seitz singled to center and White raced home with the winning run.

"I hit it as good as I could and, to be honest, I never saw Danielle score because I was watching where the throw went,' Seitz said. "There isn't a better feeling than standing on second base right there.'

Torrey Pines tried to rally one last time. Falcons freshman catcher Shelby Evans singled, but Shaw ---- who improved to 7-2 with the five-hitter ---- retired the next three batters to finish off the improbable victory.

"The bottom of the order carried us,' Bennet said. "To beat Torrey, you can't give them anything.

"We got some timely hitting, and Kourtney pitched a great game.'

Nasland, who walked none and struck out 10 in the six-hitter, fell to 10-2.

"Most difficult defeat of my career,' said Torrey Pines coach Jon Moore, who won his 300th game on Wednesday. "This is as difficult as it gets.

"I've seen some crazy things happen in this game over the years, but it's been years and years and years since I've experienced something like this.

"We had the game in our hands and we gave it away."