The Hawks softball team won 2-1 over the Diablo Valley College Vikings on March 22.
Both teams scored their points early. The Hawks scored both of their runs in the bottom of the first and the Vikings, their lone run in the top of the second.
The Hawks spent the remainder of the game playing defense with sophomore pitcher Ashlee Toy keeping the Vikings to just five recorded hits over the six and a half innings.
“So that’s kind of helped us as well, with our pitching and we’ve been managing to get at least some timely hits to make the difference, and so that’s why we were doing so well in league,” Coach Kristy Schroeder said.
With a season record of 17-8 and a conference record of 10-2, the Hawks are leading the conference.
“We are very helpful and willing to help coaches. So, I feel like that was also a very good part of the mix too,” said sophomore catcher Nicole Saravia. “They want to see us succeed, and they have higher expectations of us.”
One key play for the Hawks win came in the second inning when they stopped the Vikings after only one run with a double play carried out by freshman center fielder Gabi Lipsky, Saravia and freshman third baseman Alexis Mattes.
“I was in a play at home, where I threw it from center to Nicole and we got the out and then turned it to third was definitely a game-turning play,” Lipsky said.
Lipsky also commented on the low number of runs and the low number of hits for the Hawks.
“So, I think, while we didn’t hit as well as we usually do,” Lipsky said. “We definitely made up for it in the field and clutched it when we needed to.”
Saravia said she felt the Hawks’ energy waned as the game progressed.
“I feel like our energy kind of lowered halfway through the game. So as long as we keep that energy up we should have had the energy going throughout the rest of the game,” Saravia said. ”The energy we had at the beginning of the game, getting those hits and scoring those runs and carrying that through.”
Schroeder praised her team’s performance.
“A lot of the times the sign of a good team is that even the times that you’re not squaring the bat up on the ball, ” Schroeder said. “You pick up the win and make it happen anyway, and we have been playing pretty good solid defense throughout the year.”
Lipsky said she is hopeful for further success as the season progresses.
“Our goal as a team is to definitely make it to the playoffs, win the playoffs, make it to state if we could win state that would be super cool,” Lipsky said.
Lipsky said there’s work that’s still needed to accomplish their championship goals.
“I know a lot of other teams have chips on their shoulders because we’ve either beaten them or they want to be the team to beat us,” Lipsky said. “So, it definitely keeps us working hard in practice making sure we stay where we’re at.”