Beaumont Softball Captures League Lead

Beaumont High’s softball team is now officially the team to beat in the Mountain Pass League.

The host Cougars took sole possession of the MPL’s top spot on Friday with a well earned 8-4 victory over previously undefeated West Valley at Noble Creek Park.

“It feels good,” Beaumont pitcher Alyssa Fuimaono said. “It takes a lot of weight off our shoulders. We practiced hard and we just did it.”

It was the fifth straight win for Beaumont and completes the first round of MPL play. Beaumont (10-3, 5-0) is followed in the league standings by West Valley (4-1), Citrus Hill, Hemet  and Tahquitz (0-5).

“This is big,” Beaumont coach Jim Tickemyer said. “It keeps us in control of the league. We control our own destiny.”

Beaumont settled for runner-up honors in the league last season. On Friday, in cold, sometimes snowy conditions, the Cougars took a big step toward a league championship.

“If we keep going like we are going, we won’t have to rely on anyone else to beat any of our opponents,” Tickemyer said. “If we can keep going like we are going and get through league, we should be real successful.”

Fuimaono put forth a tough effort on the mound in picking up the win. Fuimaono, who struck out 200 batters last season, scattered eight hits and struck out six batters Friday.

“In the beginning we struggled a bit,” Fuimaono said. “We had a couple of errors. Then at the end all the girls stepped up and did it.”

Fuimaono said Beaumont, as a team, knew how big this game was.

“They were 4 and 0 and we were 4 and 0,” Fuimaono said. “Someone wasn’t going to be undefeated in the end.”

Beaumont jumped on West Valley early when Jayme Tickemyer belted a home run over the centerfield fence to give the Cougars a quick 1-0 lead. West Valley responded with three runs in the second inning to take a 3-1 lead.

Beaumont, after reaching within a run at 3-2 in the second, pulled away with five runs in the third and fourth innings. The Cougars produced seven hits in that rally with Stephanie Tickemyer (2), Fuimaono, Jayme Tickemyer and Kaylee Gemmel all crossing the plate.

“We knew they had some potent hitters on their team so we had to score a lot of runs to win this game,” Coach Tickemyer said. “And the girls responded well.”

Coach Tickemyer applauded the defensive play of Jayme Tickemyer at third base and Bernadette Moreno behind the plate. Offensively, Arianna Espinoza, Moreno, Neal, Jayme and Stephanie Tickemyer all produced hits for the Cougars.

“I would say today was our best game,” Coach Tickemyer said. “We had struggled at the plate but we focused. Today we came out and really hit the ball hard and hit it well.”