The Paly varsity softball team shut out the Santa Clara Bruins, 5-0, in Paly’s first league game of the season Tuesday afternoon.
Paly was in the midst of a two game losing streak going into the game after being shut out by Independence and Mountain View, both upper division teams. However, with the return of senior co-captain Kelli Fangonilo’s hitting power, Paly was able to push ahead early in the Santa Clara game.
Fangonilo had been out since March 11 because she broke her left pinky sliding into second base during a tournament game at Twin Creeks. Doctors thought she would be out the whole season.
“I’m not supposed to be playing,” Fangonilo said. “All I’m doing is hitting.”
In the bottom of the first, batting lefty, Fangonlio slammed a triple to deep right and scored on a ground ball to third by junior Brittany Stankovic, making the score 1-0
Paly’s favor.
Sophomore Paly pitcher Christie Cory got off to a shaky start when she allowed a single to Santa Clara sophomore Christina Robello to lead off the game. She also hit Bruins’ senior Chandra Tuscano on the lower leg, making it runners on first and second. Cory retired the next eight batters.
The Bruins fell apart in the bottom of the third when Fangonilo hit the ball to Bruin’s shortstop, Robello, who threw to senior first baseman Sarah Warwick. Warwick dropped the ball, and Fangonilo made it to second. The first baseman was charged with an error. Sophomore Nikki Remmel made it to second as well on another error by the Bruins’ first baseman, and Fangonilo advanced to third. The next batter was sophomore Katie Barich who was hit by a pitch on her lower ankle and ran to first. However, the Bruins’ head coach, John Rahbar, argued the call, claiming Barich made no attempt to move out of the way. The umpire reversed the call, and Barich went back to the plate. On the next pitch, she singled to left, scoring Fangonilo, making the score 2-0, Paly.
“George always tells us to stand there and take it for the team, so I did,” Barich said. “It didn’t matter though because they called it back and I got a hit and an RBI!”
Later on in the inning (bottom of the third), Stankovic hit into a fielder’s choice to second, scoring Remmel. After two consecutive walks, sophomore Kristine Miller came up with the bases loaded and drove a double to deep left, scoring senior Elena Stillerman and Stankovic. The score was 5-0, Paly’s lead.
In the top of the fourth inning, Bruins’ freshman Jennifer Americano hit a fly to the gap in left field. Paly centerfielder, Remmel, running hard, made an impressive diving catch.
“I was already invested in the play, so I might as well dive,” Remmel said of her thought process while she was running for the ball.
The Bruins looked as though they were going to start a rally in the top of the seventh inning as Warwick singled up the middle with one out and then Robello lined a single to center, making it runners on second and third. The Bruins were unable to score, and the Vikings closed off the game at 5-0.
Cory struck out seven batters and allowed no runs. Cory attributes some of her success to her new pitches.
“I’m working on the drop and the rise,” she said.
What’s next for Paly will be a little different because head coach George Fangonilo is going to be out for the rest of this week and all of next week for business. Assistant Coach, Fel Yacap, will be coaching until his return.
Paly’s next home game is Thursday, April 21 against rival Saratoga at 4:00 p.m.