Gilroy
– It hasn’t been a particularly noteworthy season for De Anza in
women’s softball. And yet the Dons showed how dangerous they can be
when they come out swinging the bats.
Gilroy – It hasn’t been a particularly noteworthy season for De Anza in women’s softball.
And yet the Dons showed how dangerous they can be when they come out swinging the bats.
De Anza swung the bats with authority Friday, pounding out 32 hits in sweeping a Coast Conference doubleheader from Gavilan, 13-4, 28-5. Both games were halted after five innings because of the mercy rule.
“They came out hitting the ball and we didn’t make plays,” Rams coach Nikki Dequin-Thompson said.
It was like that in both games. The first inning of the second game was Gavilan’s worst nightmare as the Dons (19-17 overall, 14-9 conference) sent 23 batters to the plate and scored 18 runs.
Megan Finney had a tremendous game for De Anza, tripling twice, driving in seven runs and scoring four. But she had plenty of help as the Dons collected 22 hits in the game.
Leadoff hitter Kristie Pena had four hits and scored four runs. Nicki Ames had four hits. Mandi Taylor and Sam Osborne scored four runs apiece as De Anza went through its lineup six times.
“We started out (the season) very well, hitting like this,” Dons coach Dennis Pennel said. “Then we lost our No. 1 pitcher, our third baseman had her knee blow out and another kid had broken ribs. We struggled and lost close games to some of the better teams in the league. We starting to find ourselves again.”
Gavilan thought it had found itself as the Rams (12-26, 6-15) brought a three-game win streak into the twin bill. A team that has experienced growing pains at times this season found that to be the case again Friday as it committed 14 errors in the two games.
Gavilan played from behind the entire doubleheader as De Anza started the opener with a four-run first.
Natalia Sanchez, who assumed the role as No. 1 pitcher after Megan Keefhaver was injured, went the distance in the first game, tossing a seven-hitter.
Keefhaver came back to win the second game. Finney also had a big game in the opener, getting two hits, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Lauren Esteban had three hits to pace a 10-hit Dons attack. Pena had two doubles.
For the Rams, Melissa Gaxiola had two hits in the opener. Amanda Perez’s two-run single keyed a four-run fourth inning. By that time, Gavilan trailed 7-0. In the second game, Live Oak graduate Megan Smart had two hits for the Rams.
“I still think we can play with West Valley and Hartnell,” Dequin-Thompson said of the Rams’ next two opponents. “We have to make up our minds that we’re going to finish the season strong.”
After Friday’s debacle had ended, Haylie Cloud was the team’s voice of reason as she looked ahead.
“The game’s over,” Cloud told her teammates after the second game. “Let’s prepare ourselves for the next one. There’s nothing
we can do about it now.”
The next game is 3pm today when Gavilan visits Hartnell.
De Anza 403 06 – 13 10 1
Gavilan 000 40 – 4 7 5
Sanchez and Taylor; Cloud, McBain (4) and McBain, Rosevear (4). L-Cloud. 2B-DA, Pena 2, Sanchez.
De Anza (18)54 01 – 28 22 4
Gavilan 300 02 – 5 4 9
Keefhaver, Munoz (5) and Sanchez, Taylor (3); McBain, Cloud (1), Ceballos (2), McBain (2) and Rosevear. W-Keefhaver. L-McBain. 2B-DA, Pena, Taylor, Sanchez. 3B-Finney 2.
