Trio of Raines, Alvarez, and Rubalcava all have big days to lead Vintage past Napa and to Big Game season sweep
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
There are some times when a team takes the term of passing the stick to meaning and they are just a run factory. Yes, let’s go with that – a run factory. But when you see this, it makes you wonder what it’s going to take to beat them as well.
On Friday afternoon at the Crusher softball diamond, Vintage decided they would create a dictionary term as they were a run factory on their way to beat Napa High, 15-0, in the second and final Big Game of the season.
Vintage (12-7 overall, 6-1 VVAL) started the game by putting up a six spot in the first inning. It all started when Audrey Manley walked and then stole second, which was followed by Angie Rubalcava reaching on an error that got her to third before stealing second base. Both came in when Alvarez roped a double into the left-center gap.
“I just try to go up with aggressiveness at the plate,” Alvarez said of her approach at the plate in the game. “ But I like to be aggressive at the plate and I just kind of see it.”
That was followed by a two-run home run by Ava Raines that went to left field to give Vintage a 4-0 lead. The homer was the first of the year for Raines in the campaign as well.
“Huge growth from Ava from last year to this year,” Vintage head coach and skipper Megan Lopez said of the improvement she’s seen from Raines who is just a sophomore. “And I really think wrestling played a part in that for her in the offseason and she is more disciplined. She is more mature and she’s really risen to the occasion in her sophomore season.”
The Crushers scored their final runs in the inning when Emily Vanderbilt reached on an infield single and then scored when Devin Viruet reached on a single and then a throw that went down the right-field line. A wild pitch later brought in Viruet.
In the second, Vintage put the game out of reach by adding another six runs to go up 12-0. The inning was highlighted by Taylor Lauritsen reaching on an error that brought in Raines who was hit by a pitch and went to third on a Brianna Allen double to put two runners in scoring position, which was followed by Desiree Griffith being hit by a pitch to load the sacks.
In the third, the Crushers added two more when Alvarez and Raines had a pair of singles and Allen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A single by Desssiana Garcia brought in Alvarez, and then a bases-loaded walk by Mia Griffith brought in Raines.
They scored the last run of the game in the fourth when Audrey Manley singled and got to third on a pair of wild pitches before scoring on a sacrifice fly to right field by Vanderbilt.
One of the Crushers leading hitters in the game was Alvarez. She has been hitting well all year. After all, she is batting an eye-popping .500 on the season, which has vaulted her from batting in the sixth spot in the order to the cleanup spot.
“I think staying with a hard swing, you never want to have a lazy swing or weak swing,” Alvarez continued as to what has seen her move up the lineup as the season has gone on. “So I think weight training and then just being aggressive at the plate and staying trying to stay consistent. I don’t like when I’m up to bat I don’t look for home runs, I just look to place the ball.”
Others having a nice day at the plate for Vintage in the game were Raines (3-for-3 home run, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs), Allen (2-for-3 double, run, RBI), Manley (1-for-2 stolen base, 3 runs), Garcia (1-for-2 RBI), Vanderbilt (1-for-3 run, RBI), and Lauritsen (1-for-3 double, 3 RBIs).
“Their approach at the plate, it makes me happy when they see great pitches to hit but they also know when to hold up,” Lopez said of the team’s offensive approach in the game. “I think that’s the sign of a really disciplined team is that they hit the great pitches and they know when to not jump balls.”
Napa (6-11, 3-6 VVAL) was on the bad side of a potential perfect game until junior second baseman Molly Travis came to the plate in the fourth and hit a single back up the middle to end the bid.
All season long, Travis has been somewhat of a catalyst at the top of the lineup for the Grizzlies. She brings great speed to the top of the lineup, which is exactly what you want in a leadoff hitter.
“Molly just has a mindset that she needs to get on and she always seems to find a way,” Napa High head coach and manager Ron Walston said of Travis. “I mean, you gotta hand it to Angie, my hat’s off to pitch damn near a perfect game. I think we had two hits. You know, a couple few balls put in play. You gotta hand it to her. Molly is just a great player. Molly’s harder herself when she doesn’t get on and you know, she always seemed to find a way you know, she’ll look for her pitch and just put in play and make them play defense.”
The only others registering hits in the game for Napa High were Reilly Parga (1-for-2) and Bella Cook (1-for-2). Both of those came in the fifth where the Grizzlies got their lone runner in scoring position for the game after Parga and Cook singled.
“Well, I think they just finally caught up,” Walston said of finally getting some hits in the fifth. “Angie throws hard. We talked about it all the time, you’ve got to be on time. The score got away from us. But again another time through the lineup I think we can you know probably put a couple of runs up but didn’t happen just wasn’t our day.”
Getting the win in the game in the circle for Vintage was Rubalcava. In five innings of work, the sophomore right-hander fanned 9 and had no walks. She also was perfect through the first three frames of this one before finishing by allowing just three hits on the way to get her fourth win of the season. She also only threw 76 pitches.
“I think she showed us some resiliency today,” Lopez said of Rubalcava and how she bounced back from a tough game on Thursday. “I think yesterday was not a great outing for us at Redwood and she really brought it today she threw harder she was hitting her spots. So I think she really came back from what she went through yesterday.”
The victory also means the Crushers have won both of the season’s Big Games. This is something that didn’t happen last season.
“Of course, I’m happy for the girls,” Lopez explained of sweeping the Big Games. “I think that Big Game always comes with a certain set of emotions. And it’s truly anyone’s game, no matter what sport always against Napa High, it’s an emotional game. And I’m proud for the girls that they were able to take two of them this year.”
Both teams will continue VVAL action as the regular-season winds down. Vintage has a big week ahead where they can take control of the league as they’ll host Justin-Siena on Monday, visit Casa Grande in Petaluma on Tuesday, and then host American Canyon on Friday. Napa will have all of next week off before visiting Sonoma Valley on May 2nd. All these games are 4 pm start times.
Vintage honors Vanderbilt before the first pitch
Before the game started, the Crushers took time to honor their only senior, Emily Vanderbilt.
Next year, Vanderbilt will be playing her college softball at California State University Monterey Bay.
Allen, Manley, and Lauritsen also spoke about what Vanderbilt has meant to them in the ceremony before the game started as well.
