Varsity girls softball lost 4-5 to the West Covina Bulldogs at home in a six-inning game on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
Although softball games usually run for seven innings, the umpire called for the sixth to be the last one since they were already two hours into the game and the sky was getting dark, making it dangerous for the teams to play. As a result, the Mustangs lost the chance to score more points.
The game started off tight, with neither team scoring in the first inning. However, the Bulldogs took the first run with four batters, making it from third to home base before the ball returned to the catcher, in the second inning, taking the lead 0-1. Despite constant persistence and runs, the Mustangs were unable to stop the offense and gave up another run to the Bulldogs, ending the third inning 0-2.
“We were kind of nervous because our seniors weren’t going to play [because of some team issues], but we knew that we had to step up,” first baseman sophomore Autumn Ramirez said. “I think we did really well defensively, but we had to learn more about hitting in [harsh] situations. We definitely have a lot more to improve on, but I think we’re doing well as a team.”
The fourth inning dragged on for nearly 30 minutes, the Mustangs coming close to scoring multiple runs, but ultimately getting pushed back by the Bulldogs, who were able to score three more runs, ending the inning with a score of 0-5. Approaching the fifth inning, however, the Mustangs won back their morale when center senior Teri Williams scored their first run, concluding the fifth inning with a 1-5 deficit.
“We started off really slow, but together as a team, we had to keep winning and keep scoring as many points as we [could]. We were working as a team to not make any mistakes. When we scored those points, we were really hyped. We had our ups and downs but at the end we really got punk’d,” shortstop junior Rihanna Jimenez said
The sixth inning was followed by many hits and strikeouts by both teams, soon escalating to favor the Mustangs. Halfway through the inning, Ramirez scored a run, followed by Jimenez, settling the score 5-3. With the momentum back on the team, the girls attempted to make a comeback.
“I always tell the girls, ‘Be prepared, [have a] positive attitude. We’re here for each other. We’re playing for each other,” head coach Nicole Neeley said. “It’s so easy that when you’re down to say, ‘You know what, we’re done, we’re cooked,’ but they didn’t do that. They kept their heads high, and they fought for it.”
While the girls may have appreciated the rest, this proved to be detrimental to the Mustangs; with the last batter in the box, pitcher and left fielder senior Cynthia Phong scored a run for the Mustangs, bringing the score to 4-5. In the same final play, Williams ran and attempted to get another run to tie the score, but despite reaching third base and running most of the length to home plate, Williams tripped and was tagged, ending the game with a score of 4-5.
“I had to make some changes in the lineup. Two of our starters weren’t playing to begin the game, but we saw the difference when they were put in the game. They fought back; in the last inning, they tried to rally, and we just ran out of time,” Neeley said. “If we had more sunlight, if we had one more inning, I feel like we would have definitely made a comeback. But overall, I’m proud of how they fought.”
