SACRAMENTO -- Considering the situation, Gavilan manager Nikki Dequin said, the Lady Rams softball team did the best they could with where they were.
After falling in Game 1 of its best-of-three series to No. 2 Sacramento City College, the 15-seeded Rams were dealt an unfortunate blow in Game 2, and one that reflected the kind of adversity Gavilan has faced all season.
With starting pitcher Melinda Ortiz tossing a no-hitter into the fifth inning, Sac City's No. 9 hitter connected on a home run to break the scoreless, hitless game. To make matters worse, Sac City's next batter skied a pop up, but Gavilan shortstop Danielle Scibuola lost the ball in the sun and wound up fracturing her nose on the play.
Forced to move players around and out of position with the departure of Scibuola, the score quickly got out of hand as Sac City tacked on five runs in the fifth en route to a 9-0 victory in Sunday's Game 2. Coupled with a 4-1 win on Saturday, Sac City eliminated Gavilan from the Northern California Regional Playoffs.
"It's a tale of what our season has been like -- injuries and a lack of depth," Dequin said. "But we're OK. We did the best we could with what we had this year. To get this far with what they've been through says a lot about the team."
Prior to the injury of Scibuola, Dequin was forced to move Angelica Galindo behind the plate after catcher Audra Brown suffered from a sore arm. Brown went to first base. But the subsequent loss of Scibuola moved Galindo to shortstop, Brown back behind home plate, Danielle Payne from the outfield to first base, and Mikhaela Osuna, a lefty, over to third base.
Sac City, meanwhile, took advantage when it scored five runs in the fifth, and two more runs apiece in the sixth and seventh innings.
Dequin said she was proud of her team, nonetheless, especially the way Galindo handled Ortiz (7IP, 9R, 8ER, 9H, 4K, 5BB, 5HBP, 1WP) behind the plate.
"It looked great. It looked like her and Melinda had been working together all year," Dequin said. "That's what you hope to see at that point, no excuses. You leave it all out there and that's what you have to do in that type of game."
The elimination game came one day after Gavilan was handed a 4-1 defeat from Sac City, which broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth on a bases-clearing triple.
Sac City went up 1-0 in the first when a bases-loaded wild pitch from starter Melinda Ortiz (6IP, 4R, 4H, 7K, 8BB, 2HBP, 1WP) supplied the home team with the early lead. Gavilan tied the game in the fourth when Haley MacFarlane reached on an error, was sacrificed over on a bunt from Galindo, and later scored after Audra Brown connected on an RBI single into right field.
But the sixth inning was extended for Sac City when Ortiz allowed two walks, then hit a batter, before the home team plated three runs with one swing of the bat.
"It was a learning lesson," Dequin said.
"Honestly, we played a great game against them - one of the best games we've played all year. Just too many walks, too many hit batters. Offensively, only two hits and that makes it tough.
"But I think the girls walked off the field feeling pretty good about it."
Gavilan completes its season with a 15-27 record. Sac City (42-7), meanwhile, advances to the second round and will play No. 10 College of the Sequoias (33-13), which upset No. 7 San Jose City College in three games last weekend.
With the bulk of its roster returning next season 99 the Rams will be without the services of Danielle Scibuola and Amanda Ross -- Gavilan will eye another return trip to the regional playoffs.
Qualifying in consecutive seasons this year, the Rams have advanced to the regional playoffs just twice in the last 25 years.
"In terms of the things they had to deal with, I think we had a successful season -- injuries, grades and other issues that some teams may not be able to deal with," Dequin said.
"It only makes it exciting for next year."
Andrew Matheson Got a question or a comment? Send us an email.
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