Winning pitcher Kaydence Koepsell prepares to throw to first base. (Photo by Action Captures Media)
Behind hot bats and great pitching from Kaydence Koepsell and Kadie Urban, the Paloma Valley High School softball team (5-2) defeated Santa Rosa Academy 11-0 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Wildcats started the game with a clean first inning, setting down the top of Santa Rosa’s order, with Koepsell striking out two after only allowing a single with two outs. The Paloma bats started off a bit cold, though, as they had trouble timing up Santa Rosa’s pitcher Zhoey Heraz.
Coach Ray Arredondo commented on the slow start after the game.
“So today we came out of the gate hot and they started turning on balls and it just wasn’t working out,” he said. “In between innings, I told them, ‘We need to slow the game down. I want you to try to foul the ball off into their dugout. I want you to try to shoot the ball into right field.’ With that mindset, they were able to stop being so fast, and we were able to start sending balls up the middle and to the opposite field. Hits are contagious, so one little flair turns into a nice run.”
Paloma really put that mindset to work in the bottom of the second inning. After two quick outs, Lynda Guerra hit a bloop single, followed by a steal of second base. She followed that up by stealing third and advancing home on an errant throw trying to catch her stealing. Kennedi McGee and Ashlynn Ferguson followed that up by hitting back-to-back flairs that drove in another run. Faith Joseph then hit a triple, driving in another run before she was driven in by a Maya Lawrence single, making it 4-0 Wildcats.
Ferguson and Joseph both finished 2 for 2 on the day with 5 RBIs combined between them. Guerra also had 2 hits.
After another dominant inning by Koepsell, who finished the day striking out 9 in 4 innings and allowing only two hits, Paloma’s bats picked up right where they left off in the bottom of the third. A mix of small ball and big hits was the story of the inning. Laura Liera singled, took second base due to an error, and was driven in by a double. A double steal and a bunt single by Ferguson also helped to add another 4 runs to the Wildcat tally, making it 8-0.
Charli Torres came in to relieve Heraz in the fourth inning for Santa Rosa Academy before Paloma added another run when Guerra singled in Camryn Cox from second. Urban then came on to relieve Koepsell in the top of the fifth.
Urban kept the Rangers’ bats cold and completed two innings of shutout ball, striking out 3 to complete a dominant Wildcat pitching performance.
“Kaydence is a bulldog,” Arredondo said. “She’s turning into that bulldog that I’m trying to get her to be. She sets the tone, along with Kadie Urban. Having Kadie come behind and still being able to shut it down, it’s very key. It’s huge for these girls to scream and yell and be so proud of their pitchers and then take that energy right into our at-bats.”
The Wildcats looked to end the game early in the bottom of the sixth inning and they did just when Liera hit a 2-run home run to ice the game, being greeted at home plate by the rest of her team.
“It’s an awesome feeling when I can get everybody in and have them all be successful,” Arredondo said. “All the way through the lineup, be it their play in the field, their bat play, or both, it’s just a great feeling. I love coaching, and that’s one of the highlights of coaching — being able to do that.”
Paloma Valley looks to continue its winning ways Friday at home against Notre Dame while Santa Rosa (0-3) looks to get into the win column next Monday at Tahquitz.
Emmilie Leon comes across to score one of the Wildcats’ 11 runs. (Photo by Action Captures Media)
Prestley Rael of Santa Rosa Academy makes a play in the infield. (Photo by Action Captures Media)
Kadie Urban delivers a pitch. (Photo by Action Captures Media)
