Softball fell 19-1 to Santa Clara High School on Wednesday, May 7, in its 10th game of the season. The game ended after five innings under the mercy rule, which ends the game when one team leads by 10 or more runs after five innings.
SCHS secured a strong and early lead by scoring 10 runs in the first inning, and continued to build the lead in the following innings. Although the Matadors struggled to keep pace, they were able to get on the board in the fourth inning with a lone run, avoiding a shutout. Senior and captain Elizabeth Trotter points to missed defensive coverage as a key issue in the game.
“I think we need to work on paying attention, because we seemed really zoned out most of the game,” Trotter said. “The game wasn’t great, but it’s progress. At the start of the season, we weren’t hitting the ball at all. Now we are hitting the ball, so we’ve grown as a team.”
Sophomore and right-fielder Srikrithi Duggireddy agrees that the team has grown overall, believing that their teamwork has also improved. She points to moments of coordination during the game, such as players successfully advancing on senior Erin Handelsman’s hits, and sophomore Sophia Mommer successfully tracking and catching multiple fly balls.
“This time, we did much better communicating as a team,” Duggireddy said. “That’s definitely why we did much better than usual. Everyone was super alert, and I feel like we really did a good job in terms of communication.”
One standout performance came from freshman Milana Chinko, who made her debut as a full-game pitcher. Trotter was impressed by her ability to avoid walking many batters, especially considering this was Chinko’s first experience pitching a full game.
“I felt very proud to see my little freshie learn how to pitch, because she just learned this season,” Trotter said. “When she started, she literally had no idea what she was doing, so seeing her actually be able to pitch a full game now is cool.”
Looking ahead, both Trotter and Duggireddy expressed hope for the team’s future, with four games remaining in the season. While Trotter acknowledges that the team may not secure a win this year, she believes they will continue to grow and have a better chance next year. Duggireddy agrees, noting that many players are still new to the sport and would benefit from more focused practice time.
“One of my biggest hopes is that during practices, all of us can start showing up more and that we actually get locked in,” Duggireddy said. “But one thing that we do have spot-on is we have really strong relationships with each other and we support each other.”
