Central Valley takes down Blackhawk in Section 3-4A contest

By: Noah Hiles
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 | 10:04 PM

In a year filled with growing pains and tough lessons the Blackhawk softball team entered its final home game of the 2019 season looking to end things on a positive note. Early on that seemed to be the case.

Solid hitting and a few big plays in the field had the Cougars in prime position to pull off an upset win in Section 3-4A against Central Valley, a team that entered Wednesday on a two-game losing streak.

However, at the start of the third inning the Warriors offense erupted, scoring six runs, which was then followed by a seven-run fourth inning and a nine-run fifth inning, ultimately leading to a final score of 23-5.

“It is tough,” Blackhawk coach Jum Riggio said about his team’s struggles after the loss. “We just didn’t play well.”

Lost in Blackhawk’s tough defeat was a notable performance at the plate by the entire lineup. The Cougars (0-10, 1-12) scrapped together five runs on 10 hits against playoff-bound Central Valley (5-5, 5-7).

Left fielder Paige Campbell was 2 for 2 with a pair of RBIs, while Kelsey Stoner also had two hits and a run scored.

“I thought we hit the ball hard in the first couple of innings,” Riggio said. “We had two girls thrown out at the plate, but we have been 10-runned a lot this season, so I will take full responsibility for sending both runners.

“I thought we battled, and I thought we hit the ball hard in the first few innings, but once the flood gates opened we fell apart.”

The two seniors on the team also were heavily involved in the game. Second basemen Hannah Mensch had an RBI while Elyse Morgan was solid in the field and reached base in her final home at-bat by drawing a walk.

“Hannah and Elyse will both definitely be missed,” Riggio said. “Hannah Mensch is the heart and soul of this team. She has been nothing but spectacular for me for four years.

“Elyse is one of my favorite players. She never complains, always hustles at practice and there was nothing more fitting for her to play a good game here today.”

Macy Greco and Jackie Wilkinson led the way offensively for the Warriors, tallying three hits each and combining for five RBIs and five runs scored. Leadoff hitter Kylie Magnotta also had a big afternoon for Central Valley, driving in two runs, scoring three and reaching base in each of her five plate appearances.

“These kids want to hit, that’s what they are here for,” Warriors coach Ray Fernandez said. “They just need to have a bit of discipline.”

Central Valley’s discipline was on full display Wednesday afternoon as the team drew 16 walks in the victory.

In addition to their success at the plate, the Warriors also played well in the field, especially in the outfield. Center fielder Kylie Magnotta made a pair of quality catches while right fielder Kylie Heid threw a runner out at home plate to end the second inning.

“Our outfield has been fantastic all year,” Fernandez said. “They have run down some tough fly balls all season long and have come up big for us in a lot of games. We are very young with our pitching and the teams we face get some hard hits, but overall we are in pretty good shape.”

Central Valley will look to finish strong and prepare for the playoffs. Despite the win Wednesday, Fernandez said his team still has a long way to go before they are postseason ready.

“We still have some work to do,” Fernandez said. “There are still a few mistakes that we are making consistently that need to end. Even though we had a good day at the plate today, we will be playing the best of the best soon. It will not be easy, but we are coming along.”

Tags: Blackhawk, Central Valley