San Marcos softball moved above .500 for the first time in the young season with a 3-1 extra-inning victory over Santa Clara on Saturday in Oxnard.
After Santa Clara tied the game at 1-1 and sent it into extras in the bottom of the seventh, Royals’ senior Solana Sandoval belted a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the eighth to put her team back in front.
“Solana had a monster home run in the eighth. I got goosebumps the moment she hit it,” San Marcos head coach Emily Dietz said. “It was a no-doubter right away.”
Junior Lucy Dessert then took to the circle and tossed a scoreless frame to seal the win, with freshman right fielder Piper Kittle throwing out a runner at third base for the final out of the game.
“I know for our last two games I’ve said they’re great team wins, but this truly was a team win. We only had 10 (players) on our roster,” Dietz said. “We had players playing out of position, and in lineup spots they weren’t used to. I’m so proud of the girls for facing it head-on and rising to the occasion.”
Dessert was dominant for San Marcos in the win, allowing one unearned run on five hits and striking out 12 batters in the complete-game effort.
“[Dessert] did a great job hitting her spots and keeping Santa Clara off balance,” Dietz said.
Earlier in the game, the Royals struck first in the top of the third when junior Dulce Cardona came around to score on an overthrown ball by the Santa Clara catcher.
That score held until the bottom of the seventh when the Saints took advantage of a San Marcos error to scratch a run across, setting up Sandoval and the Royals’ eighth-inning heroics.
Cabrillo senior Kadyn Sanchez struck out 14 batters on the other side in her eight innings of work.
San Marcos (3-2) will begin Channel League action against Buena at home on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
“This is a great confidence boost for us as we head into league play,” Dietz said.
Dos Pueblos Doubleheader
The Chargers split their doubleheader in Orcutt on Saturday, falling to Clovis High by a score of 3-1 before taking down Righetti 10-0.
In the first game of the day, Juliana Brunner allowed just three hits in the circle for the Chargers. However, the DP offense struggled to push runners across, with the lone run coming on an RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Despite the loss, Zella Cassidy went 3-for-3 and Anastasia Brunner picked up a pair of hits.
“Game one was a hard-luck game for us,” Dos Pueblos head coach Mike Gerken said. “We were about out of the inning, only giving up a run, but the sun was tough out there and the ball just traveled in the wrong path for us.
“We had base runners all day, but just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed to. Juliana pitched a great game, we just didn’t give her the offensive support she deserved.”
The Charger offense then erupted in game two, led by a seven-run fifth inning to eventually secure the mercy-rule win.
Anastasia Brunner led off the game with a homer and finished at 2-for-4 with two RBI. Meanwhile, Juliana Brunner and Brooklyn Hedricks each went 2-for-3.
Emily Morici went the full five innings for Dos Pueblos, allowing just two hits and striking out five.
“I was happy the way we bounced back in game two,” Gerken said. “Anastasia set the tone for us, letting us know we weren’t going to repeat what happened to us in game one.
“We were in control the entire time and I know this will give us the confidence going into our first league games this week.”
The Chargers (3-2) will host Ventura on Tuesday at 3 p.m.