By Michael Wojtychiw
Leadoff hitters aren’t usually the most power-friendly hitters.
A lot are at the top of the lineup because of their speed and on-base skills.
Taft centerfielder Joselyn Ulloa, who sets up the Eagles’ lineup would agree that she isn’t the most powerful of hitters.
In fact, she’d never hit a home run in her career. Until she stepped to the plate in the bottom of the second inning of the second CPL softball semifinal Friday at UIC.
Her three-run blast to center gave the Eagles a 4-0 lead and would be the difference in their 6-3 win that would help catapult them to the championship game with a 6-3 win over Young.
“When I hit the ball, I just saw her back-pedaling and I was just thinking oh my gosh, it’s going further and further,” she said. “I saw it hit the fence and thought ‘oh my…’ it just went over the fence’ and it’s my first home run ever. I’m not a power hitter, I’m so tiny, so just seeing that ball go as far as it did was amazing.
“And it was at the perfect place (college stadium)! Perfect opportunity.”
The Eagles added two more runs in the next inning courtesy of RBI By Mia Perez and Carley Creeth and looked like they were well on their way to a blowout win. Until the dolphins’ offense came alive in the top of the sixth.
Maya Martinez led off the inning with a single and Gigi Martinez got on courtesy of an error, allowing Maya to get to second. A bunt single by Chiqui Vazquez loaded the bases. A single by Emily Rodriguez scored Maya and allowed Gigi to get to third and Vazquez to second, making it 6-1.
An error allowed both Gigi and Vazquez to score to make it 6-3, but that’s all the Dolphins would be able to get across, allowing Taft to get back to the city title game for the second time in three years.
“My freshman year, we won city and that was the best feeling ever,” Ulloa, who has been on varsity for all three of her high school years, said. “Last year we got knocked out by Whitney, but we got here and I think we can do this again.”
Taft will face Lane in the championship game, scheduled for 5:30 pm at UIC On Monday. The Champions handed the Eagles their only conference loss on March 22 with a 4-3 win.
