A brand new field, Principal Phil Winston to throw the first pitch and 200 free hot dogs made yesterday a memorable day for the Palo Alto High School varsity softball team (0-1 SCVAL), despite its loss to Los Gatos High School (1-0 SCVAL). The Lady Vikes lost 5-2, giving all five runs in the third inning on Opening Day.
“[After the third inning] we were kind of down, but we knew we were playing well, so we knew we could come back, we were still trying,” Paly pitcher Grace Stafford (’11) said.
The Lady Vikes, however, had the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. After shortstop Gracie Marshall (’11) hit a single, third baseman Hannah Bundy (’14) got a double on a dropped fly and sent Marshall home.
The lead was short-lived and the Wildcats took control of the game in the third inning with two walked batters, three singles and run off a pass ball. Although Los Gatos did not manage to score again, its five runs proved to be a big enough lead.
“[Losing is] not a matter of them letting themselves down, they did themselves proud I think today the hitting in the one inning is what did them in,” Los Gatos head coach Al Pezino said.
Paly would, however, score one more run in the fifth inning after singles by outfielder Emily Swanson (’12), catcher Anna Gale (’11), who had the RBI, and second baseman Maya Padilla (’13).
“We need to work more on batting and also keeping it together through the whole game and not letting the other bteam get to us in that one inning,” Stafford said.
Pezino attributes his team’s success more to its pitching than its five runs in the third inning.
“Well I think it was pitching more than hitting [that made the difference] today,” he said.
Despite the need to improve hitting, the Ladys Vikes’ defense had only one error and saw some of the season’s best pitching.
“My pitching was really good, it was probably the best I’ve pitched all season,” Stafford said. “I just had a lot of confidence in my team and we were really punped up from the ceremony.”
The Lady Vikes’ next game is against Pioneer High School (4-1 overall) on Saturday morning at 8a.m. at Twin Creeks.
“Starting the season out like this was really good for us,” Stafford said. “Even though we lost, it was a really strong game defensively. Not so much offensively, but we know that we can work on that.”
