Lions take on Mavs C-Team to open softball season
CALEB PEREZ | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 3 weeks AGO
Katalina Lima Castro from the Mavs readies herself for the pitch during Wednesday’s matchup against the Lions.
CALEB PEREZ/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Lions player Mattie Whitaker warms up to pitch during the second game against the Mavs Wednesday afternoon.
MLHS player Arrayah Ottolini runs toward first base after making a hit during Wednesday’s game against MLCA/CCS.
Elisa Serrato from MLCA/CCS works to throw the ball back into the diamond against MLHS Wednesday afternoon.
MOSES LAKE — Two young Moses Lake teams faced off in their first games of the season Wednesday afternoon with the Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions varsity team taking on the Moses Lake Mavericks C-team. After the day’s events, the Mavs claimed 18-5 and 15-11 victories.
“It was a very intense game, we were playing a varsity team today, and I was a little stressed out on how we were going to do, but we ended up finishing pretty well,” said Mavs C-Team Head Coach Jazzmen Rose.
The Mavs started out strong in the first game, taking an early lead over the Lions. MLCA/CCS was able to put up a few runs, but MLHS stayed ahead and won 18-5 in five innings.
The second game started with the Mavs coming out early with runs, but the Lions quickly rebounded to close the gap. By the end of the game, MLCA/CCS had gotten within four points before the umpires called the game in the fifth inning with the Mavs leading 15-11.
Rose said Wednesday’s pair of games was a great learning experience for the Mav, and they are working to strive for improvement as they continue throughout the season. This season she wants the players to work hard, bring home as many wins as they can, and have fun while doing it.
As they work their way through this season, the Mavs coach said she wants the team to work on their fielding as they run through first and third base situations and work on their base running skills.
“They are actually improving really well so far just in those first couple of weeks that we’ve had at practices,” said Rose. “They have done amazingly and I’m very proud of them.”
Lions Head Coach Todd Gregory said he was pleased with the way his players performed in their first matchup of the season. He felt the team hit very well against a strong pitcher and did a good job making their way around the bases.
“A good takeaway from it is that it was encouraging to see them all swinging the bat and getting on base,” said Gregory.
Wednesday’s game also showed MLCA/CCS that there is still a lot of work that has to be done as they get ready to head into league. The Lions coach said the team still needs to iron out some defensive fundamentals such as making catches for easy outs and not allowing their opponent any extra bats.
The Lions immediately got back into action after facing the Mavs Wednesday for a double header Thursday afternoon against a league rival, Inchelium, in their first league matchup. Despite their efforts, errors bogged down the Lions and they fell 9-15 and 5-26.
The Mavs C-team remains at home for their next double header against Cle Elum-Roslyn on March 25 with the first game starting at 3 p.m. MLCA/CCS heads on the road for their next round on the diamond in a doubleheader against Mary Walker on March 26 with the first game at 2 p.m.
MAVS C-Team Roster
Name, Jersey
Mariela Vargas, 2
Evelyn Cano, 3
Aundrea Moreno, 5
Sadie Merritt, 7
Abby Vasquez, 9
Lexie Gruber, 10
Naeomi Serrato, 11
Aliyah Merino, 12
Zenieda Gonzales, 16
Katalina Lima Castro, 17
Rylee Clardy, 21
Brooklyn Bruce, 23
Mariana Vargas, 24
Arrayah Ottolini, 25
Liliana Portillo, 28
Luciana Roth, 30
Lions Roster
Name, Jersey
Kaylie Schmidt, 1
Rachel Hirz, 2
Liana Spike, 3
Isabella Leslie, 6
Elisa Serrato, 7
Taylor Starnes, 9
Kimberly Monforton, 11
Crystal Lambert, 12
Mattie Whitaker, 13
Emma Collins, 14
Lions player Mattie Whitaker warms up to pitch during the second game against the Mavs Wednesday afternoon.
MLHS player Arrayah Ottolini runs toward first base after making a hit during Wednesday’s game against MLCA/CCS.
Elisa Serrato from MLCA/CCS works to throw the ball back into the diamond against MLHS Wednesday afternoon.ARTICLES BY CALEB PEREZ
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