Squad loses 20th game

Sloppy defensive mistakes and the lack of a full nine players contributed to the softball team’s loss to Mission College Saturday afternoon, 14-2 in the second game of their doubleheader at home.

Contra Costa College’s (0-8 in the Bay Valley Conference, 0-20 overall) first game of the day against Mission (2-8 in the Coast-North Division Conference, 4-17-2 overall) ended in a 15-0 loss in five innings, cut short because of the mercy rule.

The Comets’ next games are a doubleheader against Napa Valley College (2-4 in the BVC, 7-19 overall) on April 16 starting at 1 p.m. on the Comet field.

The team was shorthanded when one of its players had to leave the game in the fourth inning to go to work, while another player did not show up at all. Since they had only eight players on the field, the Comets would get an automatic out whenever it was that player’s turn to bat.

“In the second game, we were with eight players, and there were things that happened that we couldn’t control, but we stuck together,” Kersten said. “We had a lot of heart.”

Comet starter Vanessa Kersten pitched all 12 innings, the total of both games combined. In the second game, she had five strikeouts in seven innings.

“She was like a horse. She hung in there and continued strong,” coach Ed Miller said.

Kersten said she did not pitch as good in the first game as in the second, because she lacked focus.

“In the second game, I felt like it was my duty to help my team out more. I just focused, and I pitched as best I could,” she said.

The Saints had a good start coming out of the cage by scoring four runs in the first inning. The key play in the inning for Mission came when the seventh batter came up to the plate. Already with a 1-0 lead, Mission had the bases loaded when Saint pitcher Linda Fernando hit the ball into right field to get a bases-clearing, three-RBI single.

In the top of the second inning, with a player on first base for Mission, Saint outfielder Brittney Thompson hit a pop fly to center field which Comet Tiffany Jamison failed to catch, allowing a player to score from first base.

Mission put up another run in the third inning when a runner scored from second base on a hit up the middle by Thompson that passed pitcher Kersten, hit off of second baseman Jocelyn Lopez’s glove and then got past centerfielder Jamison.

The Comets led off the third inning with three consecutive singles to get the bases loaded. Mission pitcher Fernando then walked Kersten to bring in outfielder Valeska “Samantha” Casteneda from third base, scoring the first run for CCC. Following that, Comet outfielder Diamond Williams hit a single to bring in another run.

“We stayed together, we hung in there and we fought,” shortstop Sharrell Duncan said of the Comets’ collective effort.

After three scoreless innings, the Saints added seven runs in the seventh, and final, inning of the game. All but two of the Saint players who got on base that inning ended up scoring a run.

“We need to concentrate on defense. The last few games we didn’t hit well, but we were able to do that in this game,” Miller said. “We need to start hitting and playing defense in the same game.”

Contact Dariush Azmoudeh at dazmoudeh.advocate@gmail.com.

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