Solid defense assists team in road triumph

The Contra Costa College softball team played clean games, minimizing mistakes in both of the 9-4 and 6-4 wins in Thursday’s doubleheader at Mendocino College.

The Comets (6-9 overall, 2-0 in the Bay Valley Conference) won the conference opening doubleheader against the Eagles (4-10, 0-2 BVC) in Ukiah by committing no errors in either game.

“I was thrilled that we won and I’m real proud of my (team’s) efforts,” Comet coach Otis Yelverton said. “This is the first game that we actually played as a team.”

With CCC up 6-2 in the fourth inning of the first game, Mendocino had runners on second and third bases with only one out. Comet first baseman Megan Maile scooped up a ground ball hit by a Mendocino player, tagged her out and threw the ball to Comet catcher Krystyna Fisher.

Fisher, who was standing over home plate, was able to tag out the runner from third base thus ending the inning.

The double play sparked the Comets as they scored three runs in the fifth inning.

Despite giving up two more Mendocino runs in the fifth and sixth innings, CCC managed to seal the game.

The Comets were able to carry over the intensity of the first game into the second, which they also won.

Yelverton said if his Comet squad continues to work hard in practice and make smart decisions on defense, the team could win many more games this season.

“Going into that last inning (in the first game against Mendocino) up 6-3, I got nervous,” Yelverton said with a laugh. “The team has to have confidence in themselves and play to win.”