Chandler SB uses Rosso's bat, Ohton's arm to beat Corona

March 9, 2012 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


After falling from the unbeaten ranks in power-point games with a loss to powerful Basha on Wednesday, Chandler High got a chance to do the same to Corona del Sol on Friday.

The Wolves bounced back nicely from a 12-1 loss to Basha by getting clutch pitching from Kalli Ohton and a pair of timely hits from Laurasia Rosso to defeat visiting Corona del Sol, 4-2, in a Division I softball game.

Ohton, a junior, had to step in Wednesday for Chandler's top pitcher, Kristal Whiteside, who pulled a hamstring warming up for the Basha game. Basha, as it's done to several teams, whacked the ball all over the field against Ohton and a reliever.

But Chandler coach Kim Higginbotham went back to Ohton on Friday and Ohton responded with a complete game. Ohton had only one 1-2-3 inning, but navigated the others to hand Corona (8-5, 5-1 ppg) its first power-point loss She allowed five hits, walked two and struck out six.

"Kalli stepped up," Higginbotham said. "She got a game ball today. She pitched around a little trouble. She should have had a shutout"

Rosso had a bit of a tough day in center field, misplaying a fly into a two-run double in the fourth that slashed Chandler's lead to 4-2. Rosso dropped a fly in the seventh with a runner on first, but recovered in time and threw to second for a force out.

"I would have given two game balls," Higginbotham said. "The other would have gone to (Rosso). You can't drop fly balls. She knows that and the team has expectations. She got us some big hits early in the game."

Rosso put gave Chandler (8-3-1, 5-1 ppg)  a 1-0 lead in the second by ripping an RBI double down the left-field line. Three consecutive hits by Chandler in the third made it 2-0 (an RBI single by Tori Blakesley). A Corona error ended up prolonging Chandler's at bat and Rosso made them pay with a two-run single to left.

Chandler did all its damage against Corona starter Makenzie Bates. Bates allowed seven hits and all the runs (two unearned) in three innings of work. Junior McKenna Isenberg, who'd been bothered by back spasms, pitched three innings of hitless relief and struck out seven. Corona's runs scored on Lani Redmond's double in the fourth.

Corona coach Jeep Ray gave kudos to Chandler, but vowed her team would bounce back despite some turmoil during the day.

"It's been a long day," Ray said. "We had one miss today due to a suspension and a couple others out of town I didn't know were going to be.....

"We have a a good group. There are nine seniors and a lot of them play That's the most I've had on a team since I've been coaching."

Both teams are idle over spring break and return to action March 20 in the annual Desert Mountain Invitational at Horizon Park.

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