Play Ball! Baseball and Softball Is Here
By Robert Haugh
The rain was subsided temporarily, sunflower seeds are flying freely, the sun is shining and the smell of pine tar and leather has engulfed the air. Spring is here, which means it’s time to Play Ball!
Neither baseball or softball team from Santa Clara High or Wilcox High appear to be making any dramatic runs this year like the Santa Clara Lady Bruins’ basketball team’s undefeated Cinderella season or the Lady Bruins’ CCS soccer championship.
The Lady Bruins (4-3, 0-1 division) softball team is led by an array of veteran players: senior Natasha Sanchdeva (12-for-24, seven RBI, four doubles, one triple), senior Jazelyn Seguritan (7-for-14, four RBI, double), senior Alicia Barraza (6-for-16, six RBI, double), senior Hailey Hiett (10-for-26, three RBI, three doubles, two triples) and senior Rosie Quezada (7-for-18, five RBI, two doubles, HR). Senior Alyson Teixeira (2-0) leads on the mound, boasting an 0.70 ERA in two appearances, with one shutout and complete game, as well as six strikeouts.
They had won four straight before a 7-5 loss to perennial De Anza division champion Homestead (5-3, 1-0) on March 16. Head Coach John Rahbar must hope the start will give the young ladies an opportunity to push further into the CCS playoffs. Last year, they suffered a 5-4 loss to Los Gatos in the opening round of CCS playoffs after posting an 18-9 regular season record while claiming second in the El Camino division.
The Lady Chargers (5-3, 0-0 division) softball team surged to a strong opening, having started 5-0 before suffering three straight losses. They and the Lady Bruins compete in the De Anza division, one of the toughest public school leagues in the CCS.
The Wilcox Chargers (3-6, 0-3 division) baseball team has started slow, though the multiple-time division champions have an always-tough De Anza division slate ahead and usually take a little time to get in sync. They also boast a very tough pre-season slate with difficult tournament play and non-league opponents as well.
The Santa Clara Bruins (0-4-1, 0-1 division) baseball team is struggling early under Head Coach Sean Grizzle, failing to record a win in their first five games, though they did pick up a 7-7 tie at Saratoga on March 6.
The seasons for all of these teams are very young, and there’s no telling what might come throughout the Spring season. Take some time to support local high school athletics. We will be certain to keep tabs on these local athletes. We will provide a weekly recap of local sports.