The Carlmont Scots and Notre Dame Tigers tied their pre-season scrimmage 7-7, showing promise for both of their upcoming seasons, but leaving the Belmont rivalry unresolved.
The Tigers hosted a scrimmage against the Carlmont girls varsity softball team on Thursday, Feb. 16th as a season opener for both teams. With Carlmont coming back from a 9-5 league record, and finishing in fourth in the Bay Division last season, and Notre Dame finishing with an 8-0 record in the West Bay league, the outcome of this game was anything but predictable.
The Scots started off strong, as their leadoff hitter, freshman outfielder Bella Wilson, scored a run during the first inning of her high school career. This was quickly followed by two more runs before the top of the first came to an end. The Tigers quickly responded with a run scored by senior Alexa Cuoto, leaving the inning with a score of 3-1.
This first inning was a quick start to what would later become a high-scoring game and displayed both teams’ abilities to work together early in their seasons.
“It’s always interesting to start a season because you see when the situation gets tough, who steps up … and it’s really great to see everybody come together for field defense,” said Alex Booker, the head coach of the Tigers.
As impressed as Booker was with her players, the Tigers were unable to stop sophomore pitcher Katie Fung from hitting a two-run RBI, adding another two runs to their total. The Scots extended their lead later in that inning by scoring two more runs, eventually ending the inning leading 7-1.
This early lead was promising for the Scots but was later slimmed down to a 7-4 lead when Notre Dame scored three runs in the third inning.
“I think our offense could definitely be a little bit more aggressive on the bases and at the plate, and our pitchers need to get sharper. I think that’ll happen, it’s just early in the season,” said Steve Rianda, head coach for the Scots.
After a series of desperate throws around the diamond, the Scots let up two more runs, and their lead was cut to only one run.
“I think we need to work on plays for specific situations, like first and thirds and coverages for steals, and hopefully we won’t let up as many runs in the future,” Fung said.
During the fifth inning, a hard-hit single forced the Scots to sacrifice a run in order to get the easy out at first base, allowing the Tigers to tie the game.
Both teams were able to hold off their opponents for two more innings, ending the intense game with a final score of 7-7.
“I feel pretty good. It shows that even though we have a lot to improve on, we’re already playing at a good level,” Fung said.
This tie left the dust unsettled in the Battle of the Belmont rivalry, which will have to wait until next year to crown a winner, due to the different leagues the Scots and Tigers play in.
This game was a nailbiting season opener for both Notre Dame and Carlmont, leaving room to grow for both teams throughout their seasons.
“We’re just going to work hard and get some wins,” Rianda said.
