Going into Friday’s home tilt against Homestead, the Wilcox Chargers’ overall record of 4-13 didn’t jump off the page as particularly impressive. On the flip side, the Chargers jumping on the Mustangs early in the first inning was very impressive.
After a scoreless top of the first inning thrown by Wilcox starting pitcher Lauren Rodriguez, the Wilcox bats immediately went to work. The key hit was an RBI single from two-way star shortstop Makaila Butler. The freshman not only sparked the offense in this one, but she was all over the field making plays defensively in what would eventually wind up in a 6-2 victory for the Chargers.
“She’s stepping up to the plate and taking care of business on both sides,” chimed Wilcox Manager Mark Gutierrez. “She puts the ball in play, advances runners, she’s doing a great job.”
“It’s so great to have her behind me,” beamed Rodriguez, who didn’t allow an earned run in five and two-thirds innings, thanks in no small part to Butler’s defense. “It gives me a lot of confidence to know I can always pitch to the left side and know that she will get it every single time.”
“Makaila has been working hard all season,” chimed starting catcher Sami Bianchi. “She makes those plays all the time, so it’s nothing new for us.”
The Chargers pitching and defense were the difference in this one as the score remained 4-0 through the majority of the game. Along with Butler, it was Bianchi behind the plate throwing out would-be base stealers that helped keep the Homestead Mustangs from running free.
That defensive effort, combined with Rodriguez and Brooke Rivera on the pitcher’s rubber, was more than enough to make the four runs hold up. The offense did add insurance runs in the fifth inning. A Bianchi single, followed by a Butler triple and a safety squeeze from Jesika Souza, pushed the lead to 6-0.
After yielding two unearned runs, Rodriguez gave way to Rivera in the pitcher’s circle. Rivera shut down the Mustangs the rest of the way, clinching a much-needed win for the Chargers.
They improved their league record to 3-4 rather than dropping to 2-5. They beat a team in Homestead whom they lost to earlier in the season and who remains ahead of them in the standings at 4-2. The Chargers’ overall record may not look great, but all that matters now is the league, where they are right back in the thick of things in the De Anza division.
So, were there any key adjustments made?
“When we faced her the first time, we saw that she was pitching outside, and at the start of this game, we noticed the same thing,” noted Butler. “So, we were telling each other ‘toes on the line and think opposite field.’”
The offensive adjustment certainly paid off, with the Chargers scoring six runs this time as opposed to being shutout the first time.
“This means everything. We thought we should have had them the first game, we just didn’t hit that first game. They flat out shut us down.” remarked Gutierrez. “To come back and have all the girls hit today, everyone in the lineup reached base, so that was pretty cool.”
Wilcox will now have a bit of a break with their next league game against Fremont on April 24.
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Great job on this Andy. You’re a true pro. When will you cover the Sharks again?