After making CCS for second time in four years, girls softball loses 7-4

After winning 11 straight games, the softball team found themselves in the CCS playoffs as the number six seed. They faced their first round opponents, the 11th seeded St. Francis Lancers, losing in a closely-contested game by the score of 7-4 on May 18.

The seventh inning proved to be the turning point of the game, as the Matadors gave up three runs due to a combination of unforced errors by the infield players and strong hitting by the Lancers. Though the Matadors held a 3-2 lead through the first five innings, the Lancers opened up with five runs in two innings to seal victory.

“We played well at the beginning of the game,“ coach Ray Teixeira said. “We got tired, we had kids that were under the weather and throughout the game, they wore out a bit. In the end, we didn’t make the plays—that’s what it boils down to.”

St. Francis opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning to make it 1-0, but the Matadors were able to tie up the score, 1-1, when Lancers pitcher junior Alli Quinn walked shortstop senior Sammy Barry with the bases loaded.

During the third inning, St. Francis exerted pressure, putting runners in a scoring position with a series of hits. They were able to bring a runner home with two outs, making the score 1-2, but the Matadors quickly closed out the top half of the inning after catching a pop fly.

At the bottom of the inning, first baseman senior Kristen Tatsuno got on base with a line drive to the right and stole second base on a wild pitch. A bunt by catcher junior Julia Peters put runners on first and third base, and two more hits by the Matadors helped bring the score to 3-2 at the end of the inning.

“We came out really strong,” Tatsuno said. “This game and this season, we worked really hard on focusing during the entire game, and I think we really stayed in it this game. We were cheering and loud—that was good.”

The Matadors saw their lead slip away in the sixth inning, where they gave up two runs. The team remained composed and closed out the top half of the sixth inning on a double play by Tatsuno and junior pitcher Alanna Onishi.

“We definitely played well,” Barry said. “It was a rebuilding four years — we were really good freshman year, and then we had to rebuild since sophomore year, and this was the outcome, amazing.”

With their last appearance in CCS back in 2008 when they reached the semifinals, the team had taken small steps forward as they compiled a 17-6 season for the 2010 season but missed out on CCS by one spot. This year, the team reestablished themselves as a competitive postseason team.

The softball team will be graduating seniors Lucia Lin, Melissa Pilling, Barry and Tatsuno. After finishing first in the El Camino League with an 11-1 record, they will move up to the De Anza League for the 2012 season.

Box Score:
St. Francis     0 0 2 0 0 2 3      7  11  3
Monta Vista    1 0 2 0 0 0 1     4   5   3

{cc-by-nc-sa}