1 week Ago By Matt Miller
FAIRFIELD — Any concerns Anthony Trujillo may have had about his Vanden High School softball team were put to rest Wednesday afternoon in what might have been the Lady Vikings’ best performance of the season. Vanden displayed solid pitching, a powerful offense and a crisp defense in an 8-1 win over visiting Pioneer. The Vikings handed a solid Patriots team their first loss of the season in the Monticello Empire League and may have solidified themselves once again as a title contender.
“I feel much better after that,” said Trujillo, Vanden's head coach. “It’s not necessarily about being good right now. We want to peak at the end of the season.
But the last five games, I feel like we are right where we need to be.” Isabella Cueva threw a four-hitter and struck out seven batters. Daisy Pallares hit two home runs and Niayli Calvo had another.
Vanden even turned a double play to end a threat in the fifth inning and made solid fielding plays throughout the game. Cueva allowed just one earned run – a solo home run by Marisa Bryson – and kept the Patriots off the bases, for the most part. She retired the first eight batters in a row before rendering a walk to the No.
9 batter one of three in the game. Cueva was very economical with her pitches as well and never had to struggle with a long inning. “We were really locked in,” Cueva said.
“We were ready to play. We didn’t get them the first time we played. At the end of the day, we know we are better than them.
We’ve really been working on our hitting and I have a lot of trust in our defense. Having those insurance runs was good.” Vanden scored one run in each of the first three innings, two in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
The Lady Vikings have now won seven straight games to improve to 11-4 and 5-2 in the MEL. They avenged that 8-3 loss to Pioneer in Woodland in the first meeting. Calvo went 3-for-3 with her home run and also hit a pair of doubles for a total of three RBI.
It might have been more, but she was intentionally walked in the fifth inning. Pallares had her two solo home runs out of the eighth spot in the batting order. KJ Horton delivered two doubles and knocked in three runs.
Horton ripped a two-run double in the fifth inning right after Calvo was intentionally walked. Amiya Clay, DJ Evans and Mariah Aguiling also had hits. Pioneer fell to 11-3 and 6-1 in the MEL.
A traditional Sac-Joaquin Section power, the Patriots joined the MEL this season. Gracie McGinty hit a double, while Sophia O’Quelly and Zayda Rodriguez added singles. “Cueva was dialed in,” Trujillo said.
“That was one of her best games right there. We have put ourselves in a good situation. We are healthy and hitting.
And I’m happy.” Vanden has another tough game scheduled for 4 p.m.
at Vacaville on Friday..
