Vintage uses monster first and fourth innings to roll past Sonoma Valley in mercy-rule shortened game
By Kyle Foster
Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Showing some resilience and fight is always nice to see when you get down early in a game. After all, the goal is to win every inning.
In Wednesday afternoon’s Vine Valley Athletic League game, this is what Vintage did as they rolled past Sonoma Valley, 12-2, in a five-inning mercy-rule shortened game.
Vintage (9-4 overall, 5-2 VVAL) took immediate control of the contest when they scored 7 times in the first inning by just putting the ball in play. It all began when Aliyah McDonald and Angie Rubalcava singled before Malina Viruet walked to load the bases. A single by Desiree Griffith brought in McDonald and Rubalcava. Rofkahr reached on an error to load the bases. Then, a Sydney Morton single brought home Viruet and Griffith, and on the throw, Rofkahr advanced to third and Morton to second. Ella Gomez reached on an error that brought in Rofhkahr and Morton, and she got to second on the same play. Another single by McDonald brought in Gomez.
All of these runs came after Sonoma Valley (5-12, 2-6 VVAL) had pushed across a run in the top half of the inning when Morgan Briggs doubled to the right-center gap and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. She then scored on a single by Katherine Kiser.
“It always makes me happy as a coach when we can win an inning and showing that resilience, going down one run and then answering back with seven is huge,” Vintage head coach Megan Lopez said of the huge first inning and the fight her team showed after facing an early deficit. “It was a good first inning for the girls.”
The Dragons added one more in the fifth when Kiser doubled down the left field line and scored on a single by Delilah Oliver.
In the fourth, the Crushers showcased the power in their lineup when they put up a 5-spot to go up 12-1. It all began when Rubalcava doubled to center and got to third on a single by Griffith. When Griffith stole second, Rubalcava scored. Then, Rofkahr came up to the plate and sent her first home run of the season over the left field wall for a 2-run shot.
“Well, at the start of the at bat, I told myself that I was gonna remain calm and that I was gonna try not to think about mechanics and what happened before in my previous at-bats,” Rofkahr explained. “So when I got (a) 3-2, I kind of thought to myself, if it’s there, I’m gonna swing at it. And that’s what happened.”
Following that, Morton walked and then stole second. Then, Gomez came to the plate and walloped her first home run of the season to left field. Gomez has been used all over the infield this season. The junior can play second and started this game at third while possessing some pop as she was 1-for-2 with a walk, a home run, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs in the contest.
“Ella is a unique piece to our lineup, where we’ve used her as a little bit of a utility player, whether she’s playing second base or she’s playing third base,” Lopez explained. “She has the skills to really play anywhere that we need her, and I’m proud to see her come through in the lower half of the lineup today.”
Others helping with the offensive attack for Vintage in the game were Griffith (2-for-3, stolen base, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs), McDonald (2-for-3, run, RBI), Rubalcava (2-for-3, stolen base, 2 runs), Morton (1-for-2 walk, RBI, 2 runs), and Carlee Carter (1-for-1, walk).
At the plate, Rofkahr was 2-for-3 with a home run, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBIs.
“Sure, we got down in the first inning, but she made adjustments, and then I thought she pitched really well innings two through five, and then for her to come through on the offensive side is big,” Lopez said of Rofkahr’s solid game in the circle and with the bat. “I think it’s great for her to put a whole game together like that.”
Meanwhile, Rofkahr also got the win in the circle. She did this by striking out 4 and walking 2 while also allowing 6 hits. The junior righty also hurled 89 pitches and gave up 2 runs, with 1 of them being earned. This was her first win of the season in her third appearance as well.
“I feel like just mixing up my speeds was something that was really working today,” Rofkahr said of her nice outing in the game. “So I was able to get a lot of balls in play that my defense could work with. I was also like being able to hit my spots was also really good and kind of forcing the batters to go a certain way, to also make it easier for my teammates to make amazing plays, which they made today.”
Vintage will now head to Tracy for the NFCA NorCal Leadoff Classic, where they’ll play Mountain House at 10 am with another game at 2 pm. They are in the Big 12 Bracket of this monster tournament. You can view the bracket here.
Other VVAL games Wednesday afternoon saw Casa Grande beat American Canyon 19-1 and Petaluma beat Napa 10-0.
