BEAUMONT — Any young person who has an older relative or friend explain softball or baseball to them has been told, as an article of faith, that the game isn’t over until the last out is recorded.
When Beaumont and Cajon meet in softball, that isn’t what the coaches tell their teams. Beaumont coach Frankie Fuimaono and Cajon coach Lee Haines know that scoring first usually will decide the game.
It worked that way in two meetings last year and that was the case Thursday, as Beaumont pitcher Cambria Salmon outdueled Cajon’s Jada Villegas to give the Cougars a 1-0 victory over their Citrus Belt League rival.
Beaumont (9-5 overall) leads the CBL with a 4-0 mark, while Cajon (11-6 overall) is 2-1 in league.
The only run came in the bottom of the fifth inning during a two-out rally. Leah Mays reached first when she topped a ball down the third-base line for an infield single. Jayde Pagdilao drove a ball to the right-field fence on one bounce for a double that scored Mays.
Villegas said she threw a rise ball that Pagdilao seemed ready for.
A pivotal play came when Cajon was at bat in the top of the fourth. With one out, Hope Morales beat out an infield single. Nadine Juarez followed with a single to right, and both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch by Salmon.
When Salmon threw a second strike to Kiyana Cash, Morales raced toward home plate on the catcher’s throw to Salmon. The Beaumont pitcher’s return throw to home plate was quick enough to record the second out. Salmon stuck out Cash for the final out.
“That’s a travel ball play when a runner sees a possible delay,” Fuimaono said. “We practice against that play.”
Why did Cajon take that risk?
“We were desperate,” Haines said. “They (Beaumont) make you do things you don’t really want to do. Given the same situation, I would have done the same thing.”
One reason for the desperation was that Salmon struck out 10 batters, including three of the last five.
Fuimaono said Salmon threw a bigger variety of pitches than she did when Beaumont played in the Michelle Carew Classic last week.
When Salmon was asked what new pitches she was throwing, she treated the information as if it was a secret.
“I don’t think I can tell you that,” said Salmon, the reigning IE Varsity Player of the Year who has committed to Texas.
