On Monday afternoon, the softball team beat the Half Moon Bay Cougars by mercy rule to win 11-1 in an important league match, improving to 5-1 in league play and 7-9-1 overall. A dominant performance from senior pitcher Dani Koo kept the Cougars at bay, and a strong offensive showing from M-A secured an 11-1 win.
Dani Koo retired the first two batters on ground-outs to kick off the game, but a shaky start from the defense allowed a run scored and a runner to third base off of two errors. With a runner in scoring position, Dani Koo stepped up in a six-pitch battle to strike out the final batter of the inning.
The Bears responded with some offensive prowess of their own as their first two batters, freshmen Miya Yu and Gracie Nava, reached base. Facing the middle of the order, the Half Moon Bay pitcher won two long battles against senior captains Dani Koo and Ashlyn Roeder, who both hit fly outs to center, seemingly putting an end to the strong start of the inning. However, an error allowed for the two baserunners to advance into scoring position, junior Kylie Cox cleared the bases on an RBI double, and the first inning came to an end with the Bears ahead 2-1.
The Bears’ defense made a statement in their second inning, putting together a quick one-two-three inning.
M-A rode this momentum into the bottom of the second with a base hit from Nava, who would steal second on the subsequent pitch. A single from freshman Juliana Pandolfo sent her home, followed by an RBI double from Dani Koo. Roeder then shot a line drive that was picked out of the air by the Cougars’ third baseman, closing out the second inning with the Bears on top 4-1.
After Nava’s strong, multiple-hit performance she said, “I think we came into the game with confidence, and we played well collectively. We cheered each other on and fed off of that energy.”
Roeder said, “We played some tougher teams last weekend, which has really made this a lot easier. We’re looking towards our game against Mills and another win against an elite team to secure CCS points”
Dani Koo continued her dominance into the top of the third, holding the Cougars scoreless.
Cox opened the bottom of the third with a towering triple, but the Bears failed to capitalize on the extra-base hit, going quiet offensively to leave the score at 4-1.
Dani Koo then quickly sent the game into the bottom of the fourth, leaving a batter stranded in scoring position.
The Bears’ offense struggled on their trip to bat, keeping their lead at 4-1.
Dani Koo had another one-two-three inning in the fifth, with Pandolfo recording two putouts to continue her stellar defensive performance.
The Bears strung together a series of base hits to widen the gap in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Singles from Roeder and Cox got the M-A bats hot early in the inning. Sophomore Elise Koo then sent Roeder home with a base hit of her own, widening the M-A lead to four.
Senior DonnaBella Gaetano tacked on another base hit to load the bases, and Nava sent home two runners on a base hit to center field.
Sophomore Carey Maletis hit a soft roller to the pitcher, but an error allowed her to clear the bases to secure a double. Now up 9-1 in the fifth, the Bears only needed two more runs to win the game by mercy rule. Yu sent home Maletis and slid home on the next hit to secure the win as the Bears walked off according to the fifth-inning mercy rule, up 11-1.
M-A returns to the diamond on Thursday at 4 p.m. to play the Jefferson Grizzlies.
