WNC Softball: Robinson plays home run derby
Submitted by editor on Sat, 05/07/2016 - 11:38am
What a day — or was it a season — that Western Nevada College's Dakota Robinson produced at the plate on Friday.
Robinson belted three homers and knocked in 11 runs as the surging Wildcats claimed both ends of a Scenic West Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from rival College of Southern Nevada, 16-4 and 15-1, in Henderson.
"She was just on fire," said WNC coach Leah Wentworth of Robinson, who raised her season home run total to five.
Wentworth said the coaching staff made a slight adjustment to Robinson's stride a couple of weeks ago, and the ball has been flying off her bat lately.
"We noticed in Colorado that Dakota's stride was really long and she was just missing under the ball and popping everything up," Wentworth said. "We're making sure she's standing tall and doesn't change the plane she's striding on."
The Wildcats have won nine of their past 10 games and equaled a program record with 23 overall victories. The Wildcats can match the 2015 team's 20 SWAC wins by sweeping the final two games of the series against CSN on Saturday. WNC (18-20 in SWAC and 23-26 overall) can also post its first-ever .500 season in conference play.
"I'm really, really happy with way we're playing, and the team chemistry has a lot to do with it," Wentworth said. "I couldn't be happier with the way we're performing down the stretch. It's such a great confidence boost going into regionals.
"From the beginning of the year we've talked about finishing strong and going out with a bang. I know every game they are playing for that."
Robinson blasted three-run and two-run homers in the opener, and the Wildcats erupted for a 10-run fifth inning to bury the Coyotes in five innings. She also was a thorn in the Coyotes' side in the second game, bashing a three-double during a seven-run second inning and a three-run homer in the fifth inning to support the two-hit pitching of Kaitlyn Jimmy.
Kacie Freudenberger added two hits and three RBI for the Wildcats in the first game, which was delayed 30 minutes because of lightning. Briauna Carter and Bailey Henderson provided two hits apiece as the Wildcats raked three Coyote pitchers for 13 hits over five innings.
WNC sophomore Kristina George pitched the five-inning distance to earn the victory in the circle. George gave up seven hits and three earned runs, while fanning two and not issuing a walk.
Going into the fifth inning, WNC led the Coyotes 6-3, but the Wildcats sent 14 hitters to the plate in the final inning. Robinson started the big inning with a walk and capped it with a three-run homer. Freudenberger delivered a two-run single while Henderson, Kelsie Callahan and Gabrielle Canibeyaz provided RBI base hits during the rally.
The Wildcats plated three runs in their first at-bat in the second game. Canibeyaz stroked a run-scoring single, Freudenberger lifted a sacrifice fly and Melanie Mecham scored on a wild pitch.
Robinson's bases-clearing two-bagger highlighted a seven-run second inning. Henderson and Triniece Lesky came through with RBI singles in the Wildcats' second-largest offensive output of the day.
Freudenberger increased WNC's lead to 12-0 with a two-run homer in the third inning. The Wildcats' cleanup hitter now has a team-leading seven homers for the season. For the second straight game, Freudenberger knocked in three runs and scored three runs as well. Mecham collected two of WNC's 12 hits and scored three times, while Canibeyaz pounded out two hits and Henderson scored twice.
"They're all comfortable at the plate, their timing is really good and they have a lot of discipline in their pitch selection," Wentworth said. "They are making the pitchers come into the zone and they are laying off anything that is out of the zone, and that is really giving them a lot of success offensively."
Jimmy gave up one unearned run in her five-inning outing. She walked two and struck out two.
"She did a great job for us," Wentworth said. "She had a lot of groundball outs, which is what we expect when she is in the circle. We needed that form from her going into regionals."
WNC and CSN wrap up the regular season with a twin bill beginning at noon Saturday.
