Bear comes out firing as City rolls

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Kelsey Schueler was a groundout pitcher during the 2008 season. The 2008 Clovis Independent All-City Most Valuable Player threw strikes and let her Buchanan defense do the work.

But in a 17-10 City victory at the 27th annual Central Valley High School All-Star Softball Game June 25 at Buchanan, Schueler was a strikeout queen.

"I don't know. I have no clue where that came from," said the 2008 graduate after fanning nine in four innings. "I'd only faced a few of those girls before."

Schueler, who did strike out 127 in 160 innings this past season, earned the win. She opened with three scoreless innings, racking up seven strikeouts as City sprinted to a 13-0 lead. Schueler re-entered the circle and struck out two during a two-run County ninth.

City's Clovis High trifecta of Simone Ceasar (1 for 4), Jenn Cap (3 for 3) and Stephanie Watts (3 for 3 with two stolen bases) collected seven of the squad's 21 hits and scored six runs.

Ceasar reached base in two straight innings on errors as County finished with seven miscues.

"I'm not used to that. I'm used to getting on by running," said Ceasar, who scored in both the second and third. "You get on any way you can."

A cry went up among the announced crowd of 803 as Youa Yang (Roosevelt) faced a 3-1 count in the bottom of the fourth as word spread that Fresno State's baseball team had just won the NCAA championship, bringing the softball game to a halt.

"[Bullard's Kelly Maloney] had just stolen third, and the crowd started going crazy," Ceasar said. "We were like, 'That was exciting, but it wasn't that exciting.' "

City's Brittnee Rodgers (Clovis West) added a double, while Schueler helped her own cause with a single and a run scored. Also playing was Buchanan's Kristi Lopez.