Softball: Aguinaga pitches Larkin past rival Elgin

The ball was bouncing Larkin’s way Tuesday.

Kaitlyn Neubert homered off the top of the center field fence and Jiselle Aguinaga held Elgin to 5 hits as the Royals prevailed 4-1 in Upstate Eight action at Judson College.

Maroons starter Braedyn Tetrev had held Larkin to a pair of unearned runs through 5 innings so the Royals were looking to pad the cushion for their freshman pitcher.

Neubert took care of that with a high drive that hit the plastic tubing atop the center field fence and bounced over. One out later Kenya Ventura grounded a single through the hole. She scored on Alexia Alonzo’s double to right center. That was more than enough insurance for Aguinaga, who retired the Maroons in order in the seventh.

“I was due for a hit,” Neubert said. “So I just wanted to hit the ball hard.”

The pitchers dominated until the sixth. The teams traded single runs in the third. Elgin took an early lead when Abigail Mutolo’s single plated Grace Tetrev. Larkin immediately got it back when Jiselle Aguinaga reached on a dropped third strike and scored on Julissa Aguinaga’s line drive to center.

Larkin took the lead for good when Jiselle Aguinaga walked and scored on an overthrow after Yesenia Escobar beat out an infield single.

The late rally provided a mental lift for the Royals (7-8, 4-4).

“Kaitlyn had a nice bomb, and we had Alexia rip a double at the end there,” said Larkin coach Megan Johnson-Morao. “We just really started to come alive and get out of our heads a little bit.”

Jiselle Aguinaga went the distance in the circle, walking 2 and striking out 6.

Braedyn Tetrev walked just 1 and struck out 4.

“[Tetrev] was throwing strikes and they were popping them out,” said Elgin coach Monica Stockman, whose team is now 2-11, 1-5. “A lot of them were pop ups, she was letting her defense help her, and it was a team effort.”

Braedyn Tetrev hit Escobar leading off the game, then retired the next 6 batters. She struck out Jiselle Aguinaga leading off the third but the catcher couldn’t handle it cleanly and she wound up at second. Tetrev struck out the next 2 batters before Julissa Aguinaga hit a screamer just past her head into center field.

Jiselle Aguinaga faced one over the minimum through 2, helped by a double play from Julissa Aguinaga to Escobar to Ali Herrick.