Manteca makes most of opportunities, takes advantage of miscues to beat Vintage in season opener

By Kyle Foster

kfost91197@gmail.com

Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews

ST HELENA-When one player does everything on a field, it’s going to take a lot to win that game. However, it just takes one player to have a great day and make an impact to come away on the wrong end. 

The Vintage softball team had to find this out the hard way in their season opener as they lost to Manteca, 6-2. 

The game was controlled in almost every aspect by junior Nayellys Torres who did everything. 

In the batters’ box, she went 2-for-3 with a pair of two-run home runs, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. Her first of those home runs went to straightaway center field and tied the game up at 2 in the bottom of the fourth. 

Just an inning later, she hit her second homer of the game to right-center to give the Buffaloes (2-0) a 6-2 lead. Before that, they were able to take the 4-2  lead on a pair of fielders’ choice plays. 

Then, there was what she did in the circle of this one. After all, she pitched the complete game to earn the win. The right-handed hurler struck out 7 while walking just 1 on 107 pitches on the way to getting the winning decision. She also gave up just the two earned runs in the game. 

The Crushers (0-1) were able to score their only two runs, which were also the first two of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Cienna Alvarez was able to leg out an infield single before moving to third on a double that landed on the chalk down the left-field line by Desiree Griffith. Both of them scored the next at-bat when Taylor Lauritsen poked a ball back up the middle that rolled all the way to the fence and allowed her to get a triple. 

“Taylor really did take advantage of an opportunity,” Vintage second-year manager Megan Lopez pointed out. “She had struggled at the plate in her first at-bat, and she made a great adjustment, (and) smoked the ball.”

Other than that bit of offense, Vintage had a hard time taking advantage of their opportunities when they had runners in scoring position. They were just 1 of 4 in these situations in the game. 

“We’re just not making those minor adjustments,” Lopez said of the struggles to score when the opportunity presented itself. “I think that it’s our first game of the season and I think we came out a little, little tight, a little hesitant and I hope that next opportunity we have that we come out fired up in showing a little bit more swagger and a little bit more confidence.”

The one positive was the fact that the Crushers were able to gain some opportunities for their main hitters to drive in runs with the bottom half of their lineup setting the table.

Leading the way for the offense was Audrey Manley who went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the second spot in the lineup. 

“Audrey is a workhorse behind the dish and as a hitter and she’s always consistent,” Lopez explained. “If you remember from last year she was one of the girls with the highest average on the team and it’s not the average that we’re looking at, but her consistency and she’s always going to put the ball in play for us.” 

Others having good games were Griffith (2-for-3 double, single, run scored), Brianna Allen (1-for-2 walk), Lauritsen (1-for-3 triple, 2 RBIs), and Alvarez (1-for-3 single, run scored).

Pitching well but taking the loss in this one was Angie Rubalcava. The sophomore right-handed pitcher worked all 6 innings in the game while only allowing 4 hits. She struck out 6 and walked 4 as well while allowing 6 earned runs. 

“I thought that she showed a lot of maturity to give up two home runs and continue to pitch the whole game,” Lopez said of the sophomore pitcher. “She didn’t have a lot of innings last year and so she’s really gotten in the gym and gotten stronger, and she’s throwing harder and using her full body and it’s a learning curve. It’s a learning curve for a young pitcher, and she’ll get there. I have confidence in her.” 

Both teams are scheduled to be back in action on Saturday. The one thing that could change that is rain. Both teams will face East Nicolaus, with Manteca meeting them at 10 am and Vintage playing after with a noon first pitch.