Prep Softball: Freshman Martinez powers Poway High past Ramona
By Michael Bower
Infielder Malia Martinez is bound to have many memorable moments throughout her career at Poway High, but on Wednesday afternoon she created her first one.
The Arizona-bound freshman belted her first home run -- a go-ahead, two-run blast off the scoreboard in left-center field – helping the Titans defeat Ramona 3-2 in their home opener.
“It felt good,” said the right-handed slugger. “It was cool to help out the team and help us get a win.”
Martinez’s laser came on a letter-high rise ball from Ramona’s Kailey Hill in the fourth inning. After the ball connected with Martinez’s bat, it took no more than a second for it to leave the yard and hit the scoreboard.
“I didn’t really want to hit that pitch,” admitted Martinez. “It was high and not a good pitch to swing at. I just got lucky.”
Martinez joins former Poway and current Arizona State star Haley Steele as the only Titans to hit a home run off the scoreboard at Poway High. That fact made the home run even more special for Martinez, who has watched the 2011 graduate Steele play many games at Poway.
“Haley is Malia’s hero,” Poway coach Jim Bennet said. “She looks up to Haley.”
Sophomore Brianna Parkes rebounded from a rough relief appearance against Rancho Bernardo by tossing seven-strong innings for the win. Parkes finished with four strikeouts and allowed just one earned run. She got the Bulldogs’ Hill to groundout to end the game, stranding the potential tying run at second base.
“I am really proud of Brianna,” Bennet said. “I told her today to go out there and pitch with confidence and with a chip on her shoulder. She did a great job for us.”
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run with two outs in the third inning. Parkes got the hitter to chase a ball in the dirt for the strikeout, but the throw down to first ended up in right field and a run scored.
Chase Snell, who finished with two hits, singled in the fourth inning before Martinez’s shot put the Titans ahead, 2-1. Poway added an unearned run in the sixth, when Snell came home on a throwing error.
Ramona pulled to within 3-2 on a RBI single by Adrianna Johnson in the seventh. Christina Barrameda followed with another two-out single, but Parkes retired Hill to end the game.