Hawks’ softball knocks off San Jose City College

The Cosumnes River softball team won their sixth game of the season on Feb. 5, further improving their strong start with a 6-1 record.

“We’re looking solid. San Jose City College is always a top team, so for us to sweep them was a great win,” said head coach Kristy Schroeder. “One thing I know about our team is that we’re fighters and we want to win the game.”

The Hawks played a double header and won both games, but the effects showed up in the second half of the double header.

“The majority of the games we’ve played we have scored a lot of runs. We only had two hits coming into the last inning, which was unusual for us,” Schroeder said.

But the Hawks kept the San Jose Jaguars off home plate, playing solid defense from beginning to end. Freshman Angelica Dark pitched the latter half of the game and ran a double play in the fifth inning, getting the San Jose batter and a runner at first base out.

“I felt nervous,” Dark said. “But I knew the girls were out there for me, they’d support me.”

The Jaguars scored their second run in the sixth inning, but the Hawks didn’t give up. In the top of the seventh, sophomore catcher Rachel Hooper and sophomore shortstop Brenda Velasquez worked in tandem to get a San Jose runner out at second base.

The Hawks showed their fighting spirit in the bottom of the seventh. The hitters were patient as they held their swing while the San Jose pitcher threw balls.

“I thought at the end of the game our batters really did a phenomenal job waiting and making the pitcher throw to them,” said Schroeder. “That’s what quality at-bat is.”

The Hawks turned four walks into three runs, finishing the game with a 3-2 win.

“It was stressful, with bases loaded, two outs, going up,” said freshman outfielder Amber Wright, whose hit in the seventh inning tied the game. “It’s kind of nerve-wracking but all you can do is try to hit the ball and see what happens.”

The Hawks’ next home game will come Feb. 18 against College of the Sequoias. It will be a double header with the first game at 12 p.m. and the second at 2 p.m.