The Palo Alto Vikings’ softball team’s best season in over 10 years came to a close on Saturday with a 10-1 Central Coast Section playoff loss to the No. 3 seeded Burlingame Panthers.
After handling Branham 6-5 in their first-round game, the Panthers proved too much to handle for the Vikings in the field and at the plate during their quarterfinal game.
“They’re No. 3 for a reason,” Paly head coach Jake Halas said. “Kelly Jenks hasn’t gotten hit that hard all year.”
The Burlingame pitcher, lefty junior Caitlin Breen, held the Vikings to a measly three singles. Though she was not overpowering, she found other ways to get hitters out.
“A left hander gives you a different element,” Halas said. “She also changed speeds well.”
Breen struck out four batters on the day.
The Panthers’ catcher, senior Sam Quadt, led off the game with a single to right. After two groundouts, it looked as if the Vikings would head into the dug out unscathed. However, Jenks sent the first pitch to the next batter in the dirt and bouncing off Viking junior catcher Allison Coleman to the third base dugout, bringing in the first run of the game.
The Vikings’ offense looked like it was going to get started in the second inning when freshman outfielder Anna Gale walked. However when sophomore Ryan Flanagan singled to left, Gale was tossed out trying to advance from first to third, ending the scoring threat.
The Panthers tacked on two more runs in the second when an error and a walk put runners on. A miscue on a ball back to Jenks and an RBI ground ball brought home two runners and made the score 3-0.
The game seemed out of reach for the Vikings after the third inning. After Panther shortstop sophomore Sara Rice singled up the middle, Breen smashed a ball into the left-center gap. The ball just got past the diving Viking centerfielder, freshman Mariah Phillips, allowing Rice and Breen to come around and score. The Panthers added two more hits and a run after the home run, making the score 6-0
The Vikings’ lone run came in the fifth inning when Flanagan singled to short. After advancing on a past ball, freshman second baseman Gracie Marshall singled to right, scoring Flanagan. That was the last Viking hit of the day.
The Panthers had a four-run sixth inning which built an insurmountable 10-1 lead. After loading the bases, two Viking errors helped the Panthers bring home four more runners.
The 2008 season marked the first time in over 11 years that the Vikings won a league title or even made the playoffs. With an 11-1 league record, the Vikings were crowned co-champions of the El Camino league, alongside Wilcox. The Vikings would have won the title outright, had it not been for a loss to Wilcox in their final league game.
With a majority of underclassmen and lack of seniors on the team, the Vikings have little to be disappointed about. The whole team will be eligible to return next year and will surely have another shot at a CCS title. The senior leadership in 2009 will come from Coleman and junior outfielder Pamela Wong.
“[The experience from] winning a CCS game is invaluable to the girls,” Halas said. “We’re going to be back.”
The Panthers will play Presentation High School of San Jose in the Division II semifinal game on Tuesday at San Jose PAL. The Panthers have won nine of their last 10 games, only loosing to the No. 1 seed in the CCS tournament, Carlmont.