Page Search
Before further ado, please meet your 2024 JV Softball Spartans:
When offered the chance to return to write this year’s JV softball column, some readers may feel I Should’ve Said No. But when you think of the JV Softball Spartans, I Bet You Think About Me.
Although the Spartans began scrimmaging last week, your correspondent was a week late to spring training. Consequently, last week’s column was a Blank Space. Although much remains the same, much has changed. For instance, when we last gathered at the Front Yard, few if any of our girls knew who Travis Kelce was.
Unscored Event With Seven Lakes Pleases Stratford More
On Friday, Stratford faced the Seven Lakes Spartans, a good Spartan v. Spartan matchup even if there is no serious Bad Blood between them.
Keely Meeks was the starting pitcher, and she opened the game on the wild side, finding strikes to be as challenging as removing a presidential candidate from the ballot. The first four batters were hit by a pitch or walked, forcing in a run without a hit. Catcher Kenna Wong convened a meeting in the circle and said You Need To Calm Down. Meeks responded by striking out the next three batters to strand the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the first, the Spartans answered. Kate Sanantonio led off and announced her presence loudly in flying out to left field. After a walk to Wong, Mackenzie York laid down a soft drag bunt which was fielded by the catcher, who found no one covering first base. Upon reaching first, York noticed no one was covering second base and took an additional 60 feet. Don’t fret Seven Lakes, Soon You’ll Get Better.
Meeks walked and was replaced by Sophia Lozada as a pinch runner at first. With York now at third, Shelby Thibodeaux hit a ground ball to the third baseman who threw home, but York was motoring and sliding hard, way ahead of the play.
Bella Sulma attempted to lay down a bunt but left enough air under it for the first baseman to catch it. Isla Hildebrand picked her up by mashing an unfieldable grounder back at the pitcher (Mean!); the inning ended on a Dulce Soto bunt attempt popped to third. Good to see the girls attempting to lay down bunts. Coach Salinas will have them putting them in the dirt in no time.
Defensively, Stratford was not called upon to make many plays, but when a grounder was slapped sharply toward Thibodeaux at third, she made a sparking play to glove it. However, she made a spring training throw in the dirt to first which allowed the batter to reach. She told herself to Shake It Off, however, and two batters later, she gunned down a batter trying to advance to second after an overthrow.
In the second inning, Laura De La Rosa and Emerson Hiler showed poise and effort attaining first base after strikeouts, and both came in to score valuable runs, driven in by Wong and York (who both also scored). Sanantonio also scored after a walk.
In the third, Allie Richardson reached base on another hustling strikeout, and Riley Naman singled.
In Seven Lakes’ last at-bat, Hiler took the ball from Meeks to pitch the final out, which she tallied by a dramatic strikeout.
The Spartans will open their regular season Tuesday, February 20, against Cy Fair, a rival that they know All Too Well. And I will be there every step of the way. Look what you made me do.