Vista's errors lead to 3-2 loss to Bella Vista

In a critical showdown in the middle of the pack in the Capital Valley Conference, Vista del Lago's softball team dropped a 3-2 game in eight innings to Bella Vista on Monday. The win improved Bella Vista's record to 4-2 and put them alone in third place in the CVC behind Ponderosa and Inderkum. The loss dropped the Eagles to 2-4 and in fifth place behind Woodcreek. The difference in the game came down to defense. In the top of the eighth inning, Vista committed three errors, but the first two allowed the game-winning run to get on base and then score. It was a disappointing end for one of the best outings of the year for pitcher Alayna Piexoto, who threw all eight innings and scattered eight hits and five walks, while all three runs were unearned, as the Eagles committed five errors in the game. "It's the best Alayna's thrown all year," Vista del Lago coach Darcy Fujimoto said. "The errors were on little dribblers. That's the way our season's gone for us." Piexoto loaded the bases in the first inning, but got out of the jam without a run scoring. Bella Vista scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings on clutch, two-out base hits, which was the second big reason the Broncos won the game. In the fourth, the leadoff runner reached base on an error and two outs later, pitcher Alexa Harnish helped herself with a single to score the game's first run. In the fifth inning, two singles and an error put a runner on third base and with two outs before Jada Whelan came through in a pressure situation and got the hit and RBI. Vista had equal opportunities to score through five innings and didn't get it done. In the first, third and fifth innings, Vista had a runner on second base with two outs and didn't get the hit they needed. In fact, through five innings, Vista only had two hits and neither reached the outfield. In the sixth, however, they did put some runs on the board. Stacey Kraushar led off with a single into the outfield and courtesy runner Lainey Hart immediately stole second base. Harper Nikol then drew a walk before Jillian McGuire bunted both runners over the second and third. Tayler Dray then stepped up and doubled to right-center field to score both runners and tie the game. Dray was then thrown out trying to steal third before Piexoto struck out to end the inning. Piexoto then got out of her second bases-loaded jam of the game in the seventh inning, before the Broncos won the game in the eighth. Fujimoto didn't like his team's energy level throughout the game. "Energy … we're flat and then once you get that tying situation the energy goes up, but then it plateaus again," Fujimoto said. "We're young. We've got to get on them all the time about staying focused in the game. "We're better than what we're showing. The younger players have to come more prepared for the games. We keep preaching it."