The Arcadia High School (AHS) Apache Junior Varsity Softball team secured a sweeping victory over Pasadena High School (PHS), ending the match with a score of 25-11 on Mar. 8. From beginning to end, the Apaches showed their skills through their continuous shutout of the PHS Bulldogs inning after inning.

The game started off strong, with the Apaches scoring 10 runs in the first inning. Though PHS put up many strong pitches, the Apaches managed to get in some solid hits. However, this impressive scoring came from more than just hits. A series of missed catches by PHS allowed the Apaches to steal several bases and convert those bases into runs. AHS’ capitalization off of their opponent’s mistakes would prove to be a crucial factor throughout the game.

Following this solid opening to the game, AHS ensured that their opponents wouldn’t be able to easily keep up, shutting down the Bulldogs in the bottom of the first inning. The Apaches were able to keep the number of hits the Bulldogs got to a minimum, and the few who made it on base would be tagged out through a series of agile catches and throws. The first inning would end with a score of 10-0.

The second and third innings would be largely reflective of the first, with the Apaches continuing to increase the points gap. The Bulldogs, becoming increasingly frazzled, began to start walking more and more batters. This only continued to favor the Apaches, who ended the third inning with a dominating score of 20-0.

The fourth inning finally slowed down the pace, with neither team scoring any runs. Though both teams successfully got multiple batters on base, neither could capitalize on the situation, and the long inning would end in a stalemate. This would be foreshadowing to the fifth and final inning.

Initially, it seemed that the fifth inning would be the one that would crack the Apache shield. PHS racked up 11 runs, their first points of the game. It seemed as if the Bulldogs would slowly but surely begin to claw away at the massive lead that the Apaches had created. The Apaches were struggling to keep the batters at home plate, with the Bulldogs getting several strong hits into uncovered spots of the outfield. However, this hope would be dashed, as the Apaches finally were able to secure the three outs needed to end the game. The Apaches-Bulldogs matchup ended with AHS winning with a sound 14 point lead.

The Apaches commanded the flow of their game against the Bulldogs from the very first hit, and the results of each inning and of the game overall speak for themselves. They will be taking on Glendora High School in an away game on Thursday, Mar. 10.