The Malibu Hornets softball team put on a scoring show in the last two innings of their second game against a West LA All-Star team last Saturday at Malibu Bluffs Park.
The team of Malibu Little Leaguers rang up seven runs in the contest’s fourth and fifth innings before losing, 10-8, to the visiting team. The Hornets, composed of 10- and 11-year-old girls, were down, 9-1, before going on their scoring run.
Hornets manager Peter Hopkinson said something changed for the Hornets late in the game.
“They just all of a sudden came on strong,” he said. “You can tell, the more harmonious the dugout is, the better they do. It’s definitely a group effort. Magical things happen.”
West LA beat Malibu in a contest earlier in the day as well.
Hornets player Raya Israel, who received one of the two game balls after the loss, said she and her teammates might have been a little tired at the beginning of the game.
“We saw we were down by a lot, but we knew we needed to step up and try our best,” the 10-year-old said. “It was fun. We had a really big comeback, and I liked it.”
Malibu’s late-game run began in the fourth inning when Betsey Hopkinson, one of the manager’s two daughters on the team, hit a single and then stole second base. Betsey stole third base after her teammate, Olivia Berns, walked. Anniston Aragon hit a single out of the infield that allowed Betsey to score. Tess Hopkinson, Betsey’s sister, hit a single next.
Two batters later and with bases loaded, West LA walked a Hornets batter, which allowed Olivia to score. Anniston stole home plate a few plays later to make the score 9-4.
Malibu held West LA to one run at the top of the fifth inning. Tess, positioned at pitcher, threw out West LA’s first hitter at first base and struck out the third batter; West LA’s second batter had been walked. She managed to steal her way around the bases before stealing home base on an errant pitch. Jocelyn Zabaldo caught a pop-up to get the third out for Malibu.
Zabaldo, Malibu’s first batter at the bottom of the fifth inning, hit a double that hugged the third base line and then stole third base. West LA’s pitcher struck out Malibu’s next batter. Jasmine Bellamy next hit a double in the air that barely missed the glove of a leaping West LA infielder. Zabaldo scored Malibu’s fifth run, thanks to the hit.
Betsey hit a single before the next Hornets batter struck out. Then, Bellamy stole third base and Betsey stole second. Aragon hit the ball into centerfield, driving Bellamy and Betsey in for scores. Tess next hit a single that allowed Anniston to score. The following Malibu batter struck out, ending the game.
The Hornets had a quick team meeting after the defeat. Each girl discussed what they believed the team did well and what needed improvement.
The Hornets, owners of a 10-6 record, defeated a Culver City team Memorial Day Weekend. The Hornets will next play in the California District 25 Little League Tournament of Champions, a single elimination tournament.
The older Hopkinson said he believes Malibu can go far in the event, adding that the squad has progressed well this season.
“It’s night and day, from the beginning of the season until now,” he said. “Maybe 40, 50 percent of the team had never played softball before. We have been working really hard on fundamentals and putting a lot of time in.”
The coach continued, “I love seeing that moment when everything clicks for them on the field and all of the sudden, they are like a different person. It’s good to watch them grow.”
Raya, a softball player for three years, has seen the improvement also.
“I think this is the best team we have ever had,” she said. “We are really super good.”
