Softball WINS 19-4 against Chabot

Freshman+Chelsea+Mari+hits+the+ball+at+DVCs+game+against+Chabot+College+on+March+1%2C+2019.++Vikings+won+19-4.%28Samantha+Laurey%2FInquirer%29

Samantha Laurey

Freshman Chelsea Mari hits the ball at DVC’s game against Chabot College on March 1, 2019. Vikings won 19-4.(Samantha Laurey/Inquirer)

Isabel Villalobos, Senior Staff Member

Diablo Valley College defeated Chabot College 19-4 in five innings on Friday. Their current overall record is 5-6.

The Vikings came out strong in the first inning, beginning the game with starting pitcher Summer Throne. The Vikings shut down Chabot, not giving them any runs. DVC was ready on offense, coming out strong with a quick seven runs to start the game with a 7-0 lead.

Pitcher Taylar McCullough said, “We started the game today great. We gave ourselves an early start with seven runs which made us confident moving forward in the game and really helped us grow as team.”

In the start of the second inning, the Vikings pitcher Summer Throne allowed three hits, giving Chabot their first run. Chabot hit shallow center field, getting DVC their first out by center field Rebecca Walsh. Giving up another hit, Chabot made it home with another run on the board, with a player on first and second. Chabot hit to second base, snatching the Vikings their second out by second baseman Gabriela Arzaga. With a wild pitch, Cabot got another run on the board making the score 7-3. Walsh caught another center field ball getting DVC their last out.

The first at bat in the second inning for the Vikings was first baseman Kathryn Cassin, hitting a ground ball to left field making it to second base. Catcher Hailey O’Rourke hit a ball deep to left field, getting their first out. Shortstop Chelsea Mari hits another left field hit getting another out for the Vikings. The inning ended with a hit to third, getting out at first by designated hitter Alexis Esparza.

“We did have errors today, but because we had insurance from the runs we were getting we didn’t let them get us down and we kept thriving as a team,” said Mari.

The third inning Throne pitched two balls, getting a base hit and one out. Throne got relieved by  McCullough. Chabot got a deep hit to center field getting out by Walsh and giving a run in at home putting the score at 7-4. Mari with an assist to first base got Chabot their third out.

Right fielder Hannah Kwong started the second inning with a hit to second, getting out at first. Right fielder Avonikah Salas got the second out at first. Walsh hit to left field, making it to first and stealing to second base. Third baseman Mariah Schuchart was walked. Like Walsh, Arzaga smashed a ball to left field, making it to second base and advancing two runners’ home. Cassin hit a ball to left field ending the inning with a score 9-4.

Mari said, “We were really aggressive today and that’s were we’ve been lacking, so it was great to finally see us all working hard for this win today.”

McCullough gave up two hits on the top of the fourth inning giving Chabot players on first and second base. With a caught ball in left field by Salas, an assist to first by Mari and an assist by McCoullough to first, the Vikings were now at bat.

Leading DVC was O’Rourke who was walked. Mari hit deep right field making it to third, getting O’Rourke home. Esparza was walked lead with a bunt by Kwong, making it to second and sending Mari home. Salas hits a ball left field getting out but bringing Esparza home. Walsh got another hit to left field, making it to first and stealing second, putting the Vikings on second and third base. Schuchart got a hit to left field, getting the Vikings their second out and bringing Kwong home. Arzaga hit to centerfield, making it to first, sending Salas home. Freshman Jenny Bering got walked lead by a centerfield hit from O’Rourke, getting another player home. With a hit by Mari to centerfield, a hit to third by McCullough, a hit by Kwong to second and a hit to left field by Salas, the Vikings got four more runs in. The inning ended with an out by Walsh with a hit to left field making the score for the inning 19-4.

The final inning began with a hit by Chabot to first base. Mari got the first out with a catch at shortstop. The second out was a catch by Arzaga on second base. Chabot then got a bunt and a walk, making the bases loaded. The game ended with a catch by Kwong in the right field, ending the game 19-4.

Assistant coach Brandon Bailey said, “Our team competed very well today, as expected. We did have a couple faults here and there on defense, but it was nothing we couldn’t recover from. Our team is starting to finally gel, we are starting to learn new personalities and how to work with one another. Tomorrow will be a hard day hopefully the win from today will carry on to tomorrow.”

DVC’s next game is away on Saturday vs San Jose and San Mateo. The next home game will be a conference game against American River on Tuesday March 5 at 3 p.m.