The Carlmont JV softball team defeated the Menlo-Atherton Bears with a score of 10-0 at Carlmont High School on Friday, April 5. The Scots dominated the Bears, and the match ended early due to the mercy rule.
“Leading up to the game, our team practiced intensely, and players trained individually outside of practice. We focused on quality over quantity to prepare adequately for the match,” said sophomore Sydney Lapin.
The Scots started strong, led by pitching from freshman Abby Maher. The Scots prevented the Bears from scoring any runs but could not score any of their own. After the first inning, the score remained 0-0.
The Scots continued their defensive success and shut out the Bears in the second inning. Using their defensive success as motivation, Lapin hit a triple into left field with the bases loaded. The Scots tallied a few more runs, increasing the lead to 5-0.
“Many players met with their batting coaches, and we focused on hitting for most of the week. We did a lot better offensively than last game, something we had been struggling with earlier in the season,” said Scots head coach Madison Gunn.
During the third inning, the Scots maintained composure and played with control. The Scots dominated with their pitching and outfield play, continuing the Bears’ scoreless run.
With the bases loaded, freshman Sasha Giron scored another run. Later in the inning, two other players also scored, and the Scots led 8-0. Despite their comfortable lead, they wanted to keep up the pressure on the Bears.
“Although pitching is a lot of pressure, I try to outsmart the opponent and change my style for each batter. For example, the tactics are different when pitching to a shorter batter versus a taller one,” said freshman Abby Maher.
The fourth inning had a quick start, with Maher striking out two batters early. Although the Bears managed to hit a single, she quickly forced the final out. Due to the regulations, the Scots were two runs shy of reaching the mercy rule.
The mercy rule states that the match is officially over if the score has a difference of 10 runs after five innings.
Senior Claire Kettwig hit a triple to begin their batting cycle, and the Scots tallied two more runs, leading 10-0 after four innings. With only three more outs to go, the Scots quickly forced them, securing another win.
Despite the dominating victory, the team strives to improve daily at practice and learn from each game. The team will group and debrief about their performance, analyzing areas of improvement.
“I always talk about trying to be on our best game every single time and focusing on how we recover from mistakes because they make or break games,” Gunn said.
With the rest of their season ahead, the Scots have high expectations and goals for the future. They will continue to work hard to motivate each other to play to the best of their ability.
“We want to push each other to get better and bond as teammates, and the winning will follow if we put in the work,” Lapin said.
