Into the Ivy: Davis homers twice in Huntington Beach softball team’s win

A potent offense will win its share of games.

Huntington Beach High’s softball team did not get off to its fastest start, but the Oilers appear to be turning the corner.

Ivy Davis homered twice, and the host Oilers powered their way through visiting Marina, 11-1, in a Sunset League game on Tuesday evening.

Davis went three for three with a two-run shot in the first and a three-run homer in the fourth. The Arizona-bound shortstop also scored three runs and made five putouts in the field.

“It was really good to have runners on base, and we were having really productive at-bats,” Davis said. “We didn’t know how it was going to be coming out because they have been strong. I’m glad that we came out here and performed how we did.”

Kelly Ryono supplied the rest of the power. She had a three-run home run in the third. The Oilers’ designated player later added a double, and she finished the game with four RBIs.

Davis and Ryono also homered in the same game at Foothill earlier this year. Ryono asserted that when Davis is on her game, it pumps energy into the rest of the team.

“It’s just awesome, the momentum that Ivy gets,” Ryono said. “It just carries through the whole game.”

Marina Coach Mandee Farish agreed that the Oilers (9-7, 3-1 in league) are a tough lineup to face, especially for a freshman getting her first look at the league rival.

Emily Rush allowed nine runs in four innings. Davis’ homer in the fourth made it 9-1, and the freshman appeared to have had enough at that point.

“I think Emily is one of those players that, regardless, she takes it hard,” Farish said. “Whether it’s bases loaded or a solo home run, she just really takes it upon herself to be better and to do better.”

“They’re a great hitting team. I can’t take that away from them. Emily learned that today the hard way.”

On the other side of the coin, the Oilers have been getting strong efforts in the pitching circle from a very young nucleus.

Sophomore transfer Morgan MacBeath became eligible last week. The Oilers have been riding her and freshman Grace Uribe (5-5), who started against the Vikings (6-9, 2-1).

Huntington Beach is 6-2 since the start of last week, and the starting pitching has been a big reason for the surge.

“I’ve definitely seen a lot of maturity in their play,” Oilers catcher Janie Hammond said. “I think the last couple of years, we’ve gone from the catchers doing everything to now the pitchers are getting their mind in the game.”

Uribe allowed one run on five hits in the five innings before the game was ended by the mercy rule in the fifth. The Huntington Beach starter ended the game with her bat, producing an RBI-triple that extended the Oilers’ lead to 10.

Marina’s Ashley Pilatos is Uribe’s cousin. Uribe said that Pilatos tried to make a deal with her before the game, but she wasn’t taking the bait.

“I give her a nice pitch and she’ll drop a ball in left field for me,” Uribe said of the proposal. “Obviously, I tried a little harder with her. I wanted to get her out.”

Backup catcher Jacey Henderson had two hits and an RBI for the Vikings. Jen Swartz added a double.

Prior to the game, the Oilers held a cancer awareness ceremony. The players stepped out onto the field and named somebody that they knew had been touched by cancer.

Jami Goldman Marseilles threw out the first pitch. She is a former world-record-holding runner as a paraplegic who is currently fighting breast cancer.

Goldman Marseilles visited the Oilers in January as a motivational speaker.

Sunset League

Huntington Beach 11, Marina 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

Mar 000 10 — 1 5 1

HB 303 32 — 11 10 0

Rush, Carreon (5) and Henderson; Uribe and Hammond. WP — Uribe, 5-5. LP — Rush, 3-3. 2B — Swartz (Mar); Bunker (HB), K. Ryono (HB); 3B — Uribe. HR — Davis 2 (HB), K. Ryono (HB).

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