LJ softball 1, San Diego 7

Pitcher Kyra Ferenczy, with a Caver

runner on second. Ferenczy was battling

an irritating blister on her pushoff

foot. (Photo Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

La Jolla's softball team, at present, is a hair-trigger mechanism. Not yet finely-tuned, like much of last season, but sensitive to the slightest alteration.

Witness: Coach Andrea Denham's team was missing two starting infielders last Wed., March 29, against Helix, and with the right side of the infield missing, the entire unit collapsed in a 10-run second inning on the way to a 14-1 defeat. The MIA were Emily Alvarez, the junior first baseman, and Sara Tyrus, the senior second baseman. (Denham, undergoing surgery on her throwing arm, also was absent.)

Witness: In the aftermath of that defeat, and the likelihood that two more players, centerfielder Vanessa Shaffer and leftfielder Ava Verbrugghen, wouldn't be able to make both games, the coaches forfeited their other tournament games scheduled for Thursday and Friday, March 30-31.

Fast forward: The Vikings, behind pitcher Kyra Ferenczy, were sailing along with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning at San Diego Tues., April 4. In the top of the first, shortstop Josie Sinkeldam, the third hitter, lined a curving drive down the right field line. The drive glanced off Cavers right fielder Anjeli Fitzgerald's glove, rolling near the fence. The swift Sinkeldam didn't stop running into she slid into home ahead of the throw. Vikings on top, 1-0.

Then, in the Cavers' half of the fifth, what has happened several times happened again. Ferenczy, though suffering from a blister on her "throwing toe" (push-off toe), was throwing well. But a combination of hits dropping in, and mental errors by inexperienced players, gave way to four runs by the young San Diegans, 1-7 coming into the game.

To repeat: For the Vikings so far this season, it has been a fine line between success and sudden failure. La Jolla's roster doesn't include any subs with softball experience, so the red and black have to stick with who brought them to the dance.

With one out, Cavers captain Alaina Zavala doubled to right center. Freshman Cassidy Crusberg, San Diego's pitcher, dropped a bunt right in front of the plate. Neither Ferenczy nor catcher Hailey Ramos could get to the ball quickly enough to make a play. The ball sat on the bare dirt for a single, moving Zavala to third.

Lilly Mendez, San Diego's only senior, followed with a hard-hit double to right center, driving in Zavala to tie the game 1-1. Mendez moved to third during the next at-bat. Caver Marykate "Hoss" DeLuca popped out to second. However, the throw went to first to try to catch Crusberg scampering back to the bag. She slid back just ahead of the throw.

Meanwhile, Mendez, playing heads up, was watching all this and broke for home, easily scoring without a throw. It was the kind of mental mistake that is going to happen with inexperienced players, and there wasn't major damage to the Vikings--yet. They now trailed, 2-1.

La Jolla's level of frustration visibly increased with the next series of occurrences. Mazzy Noriega, a left-handed hitter, drove a single into left. The uniquely-named Sunday Tinsley walked, as Ferenczy struggled with her blistered foot on the rubber. 

The next hitter, Fitzgerald, batting in the eighth slot, hit a catchable fly ball into shallow right center. The ball dropped among multiple fielders looking at one another, and, instead of the third out, two runners circled the bases and scored on the miscue. No error was marked in the scorebook, as the ball dropped untouched to the turf. But the score was now 4-1, and the Vikings' side gave way to further frustration.

Having experienced some success and gaining some confidence, the hosts proceeded to add three more runs in the sixth, and that was all she wrote, 7-1.