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Christian clutch for Foothill in win over Coronado

Sadie Christian battled through adversity all of Monday afternoon.

So it wasn’t a shock when the Foothill junior bunted foul on two safety squeeze attempts with the score tied in the top of the seventh inning.

Nor was it a surprise when Christian flaired an 0-and-2 pitch into short right field to knock in the eventual winning run.

Christian worked in and out of trouble in the circle and delivered the go-ahead hit to lift the Falcons to a 6-5 win at Coronado in a Division I Sunrise League game.

“I just tried to keep my head up and say the pitcher wasn’t going to beat me,” Christian said. “I really wanted to score those runs, and I knew she would try to pitch me away. I just took it that way.”

With runners at second and third and one out in the top of the seventh, Foothill first-base coach Andrew Risheg gave Christian the bunt sign. She fouled off consecutive pitches.

“I leave a lot of it up to (Andrew) to call,” Foothill head coach Tom Mayes said. “It wasn’t a (suicide) squeeze call, but we wanted to put pressure on them to make a play.”

Christian redeemed herself by dunking a ball into short right field, just out of the reach of Coronado’s Brooke Younie, who made a diving effort. Kaitlyn Enzweiler scored the go-ahead run, but the Cougars recovered to throw out Caitlyn Stevenson at home on the play.

“She’s been doing really well at the plate the last few games,” Mayes said of Christian.

Christian retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh — the only half-inning either team failed to have someone reach base — to preserve the win for the Falcons (20-7, 12-4 Sunrise).

She allowed nine hits and walked one, giving up four runs in the first two innings. Christian struck out one but the Falcons committed just one error.

“I had confidence in my team,” Christian said. “I knew we could win this game. I feel like I get stronger as the game goes on, and if I get stronger, the people behind me get stronger.”

Alexis Farias was 2-for-2 with two runs, and Haleigh Olive went 2-for-4 with two runs for Foothill, which moved within 1½ games of Coronado (22-6, 14-3) for second place in the Sunrise League. Rancho (16-0) likely won’t be caught for first place.

“If we don’t get the two (seed), at least the momentum will be behind us going into the playoffs,” Mayes said.

Jaiden Johnson was 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, and Dylan Underwood went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Coronado.

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.

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