Beaumont’s softball team could have taken the day off during Wednesday’s game against Tahquitz.
Nothing is at stake as the Cougars play out their final games of the regular season. They locked up the Mountain Pass League title last week and produced a thrilling victory over a tough Hemet team on Monday.
So buckling down for winless Tahquitz had to be a challenge.
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Not so. The Cougars were focused and productive in a 20-5 win.
“It’s real important because we want our ‘A’ game right now,” Beaumont team captain Jayme Tickemyer said. “We want to be at our peak for CIF. Right now we are right there where we need to be.”
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Twelve of the 13 players on the Beaumont roster got to play in Wednesday’s game. The one player who didn’t was a regular starter who sat out the game.
“We have real depth this year and that is something we have not had in the past,” Beaumont coach Jim Tickemyer said. “You couldn’t tell who were the starters were and who wasn’t in this game.”
Beaumont did play three freshmen. One of those freshmen, Lauren Johnson, belted a first inning grand slam over the center field fence.
“I just kept fouling off and fouling off,” Johnson said. “Then I took one right up the middle.”
Beaumont (20-4, 13-1) finished with 16 hits in the game. Alyssa Fuimaono belted out a grand slam in the fourth and was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate, scoring four times. Tickemyer was 2 for 3 for the Cougars, who are ranked No. 2 in the CIF Div. 5 poll and improved to 8-1 on their home field.
“We are just real serious about softball,” Johnson said. “I think we have all come together and make a good team.”
