Win Streak
Riverview High School’s girls softball team has had a very triumphant season so far, including a near perfect record they’ve acquired over the past few weeks.
The first of the schools kicking off the Sharks’ win streak is. Leto High School. Riverview took home this 15-0 win with two inside-the-park home runs by Christina Martinez and Kaia Llpresty, an FSU commit.
Assistant coach Cody Slater gives more credit than just the homers, saying, “It was a good offensive effort as a whole, and both Rachel Tanner and Christina Martinez had stellar pitching performances.” Slater could not be more correct as the game was a no-hitter. Slater adds, “We wanted the girls to play hard and clean and that’s what they did.”
The second game under The Lady Sharks’ belts was Spoto, a 20-0 win for RVHS. Kaia Lopreste racked up another inside-the-park homer and Isabella Duran had a “great pitching performance”. In addition, Slater says, “It was a good offensive showing from top to bottom-same motto-good, clean plays on defense.”
Middleton High was another offensive feat for the Lady Sharks, with a 15-0 victory for Riverview.
“We knew offense was going to come hot and heavy.” says Slater, and that they did with Lopreste racking up a home run, as well as Trinity Hobley, and Tanner getting herself an inside-the-park home run.
The fourth game for the girls was their “biggest challenge yet,” still managing to bring home a 12-7 victory.
Starting, and almost finishing, on the mound was Martinez, whom, Slater says, “made it through their lineup without too much damage.” Tanner closed it out in the seventh inning. Between the pitcher and the field, Slater says, “This is where the defense really stepped up behind the pitchers.”
However, defense wasn’t the only presence on the field, “offense was stellar” says Slater, and it couldn’t be said better, with The Lady Sharks racking up 17 hits and a home run by both Martinez and Ariela Leon.
Slater tips his hat saying, “It was better competition than the first three games - we kinda got to see where we stood.” Slater adds the importance of defense in this game and how prepared he wanted the Lady Sharks to be.
The Lady Sharks faced East Bay next, taking home a 10-0 victory in game that got mercy-ruled in the fifth inning.
Tanner pitched all five innings and “Martinez played stellar first base”, says Slater.
The game plan was simple for Slater. “Try to be offensively minded with 13 hits. If we’re going to win a ball game we’re going to win with lots of hits.”