MORAGA – California player Hailey King (17) excitedly shouts at her teammate Jayda Crosby (10) after scoring a run. The San Ramon Valley and California played in an NCS Division I high school softball championship at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., on Friday, May 26, 2023. (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
MORAGA – Although gold medals hung around their necks, the California softball team’s attention was not focused on the hardware they had earned after defeating San Ramon Valley 5-1 in the Division I title game of the North Coast Section.
Instead, they watched and listened to coach Tony Bari, who told the freshmen to treasure the school’s first section championship.
“Freshmen, this doesn’t happen every year,” Bari declared in a post-game speech.
Alyssa Villarde, among the many who surrounded Bari on the grounds of Saint Mary’s College, was a senior who welcomed the message.
“It means a lot, because all of us older adults started with the COVID year, so it was difficult from the beginning,” Villarde said. “I am super excited, because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We hadn’t even gotten that far.”
Bari admitted he had doubts about his team’s ability to reach the top of the NCS after the season started 4-5 and he spent two weeks without being able to practice outside due to rain.
Stuck training inside the San Ramón school basketball gym, it was under these less-than-ideal circumstances that the team found its groove.
“We were in the gym for most of our practices, so it brought us all together,” sophomore Jayda Crosby said. “We talked and we knew what we wanted to achieve. ”
Junior Kaitlyn Le has been an integral part of a team that went from sub-.500 to 21 wins and a berth in the NorCal game. She had knocked out College Park and kept Grenada’s prolific offense to one run in the previous two rounds.
He was once again superb when his team needed the right hand to be at its best. She pitched him a complete game in which she struck out three, walked no one and allowed two hits against East Bay California Athletic League rival.
Every time Le got an out, her teammates cheered her on from the dugout. He did the same thing to him every time a hitter reached base, which was quite often.
“My head hurts a bit from yelling so much,” Le said.
He had plenty of opportunities to make noise, California recording 10 hits, four of them doubles. After the first three scoreless innings, athlete of the week winner Hailey King hit an RBI double, one of her three hits of the day, and senior Mia Rabuco had an RBI. with a roll.
San Ramon Valley cut the lead to one when Ava Lyons drove in Addie Layous, who led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple.
Although SRV was denied a championship, one of their standout players remained upbeat after the match.
“Yes, we lost the game, but that’s just one thing in our way and I don’t think it’s going to stop us,” said Gianna Baccei, whose team is expected to compete in the NorCal game. “We are hungry for another victory.”
Le didn’t allow another run after that, and California scored a run in each of the last three innings to extend the lead. Reese Stiner, Shayla Santolucito and Hailey Godin all had RBIs.
San Ramon Valley appeared ready to start a late rally, starting the bottom of the seventh inning with a double by Lyons. But in the next at bat, Crosby ran in front of the center field wall and made a stunt catch to prevent an RBI.
“I was going to do my best and nothing would stop me from catching the ball,” Crosby said.
The next two Wolves batsmen jumped up and the orange and black celebration began. San Ramon Valley fell to 23-6 and California improved to 21-8.
Amid hugs and congratulations from parents and players, the California section-winning coach was in no hurry to reflect on regional play.
“It’s gravy at this point,” Bari said of the NorCal competition. “This was the goal. We really wanted this for school.
“This year, we decided that this was our year to be great, and I’m damned if we don’t.”
In Division II, Casa Grande defeated rival EBAL from California, Livermore, 5-1.
