After starting the season with a new coach, the Carlmont JV girls softball team played their second game against the Mountain View Spartans and conquered their opponents.
Although the Spartans climbed up the scoreboards after the fifth inning, they could not surpass the Scots. The game ended with a final score of 6-4, and the Scots have won both of their non-conference games so far.
Their last game was on March 3 against the Valley Christian Warriors, advancing 8-1.
The early winning streak can greatly be attributed to Michael Armanini, the Scots’ newly appointed head coach.
“This is the first time I’ve seen [Mountain View play],” Armanini said. “I just heard that they lost to St. Francis by a large margin, so I thought we had a good shot at winning today.”
Coming in here knowing we were playing a better team, we just had to compete
— Ariana Garcia
Carlmont freshman Sophia Cerelli pitched for the first four innings, striking out six Spartans. Then, Carlmont freshman, Zara Hai, pitched for the remaining three innings. At the brink of the fifth inning, Spartan freshman Courtenay Nappo suffered a facial injury and sat out for the remainder of the play. The Spartans had one point until the start of the sixth inning and gained two more points before the game’s end.
It was a close game, but the Scots remained victorious.
“Coming in here knowing we were playing a better team, we just had to compete,” said Ariana Garcia, the Spartans’ head coach. “[I’m hoping to be] at the top. We’re hoping it’s a good season.”
The Scots have not competed against the Spartans since 2020, so this season will allow each team to relearn each other’s playing styles. Meanwhile, the players exhibited determination and excitement to bond with their new teammates this year.
“I really like to meet a lot of new people,” said Phoebe Dowling, a junior at Carlmont. “It’s really fun because you get closer when you’re on a team and work together rather than seeing it as a competition. I think we worked well together and were good at communicating.”
The Scots anticipate a win for their next game against the St. Francis Lancers on March 15, which will be their first away game of the season.
“We probably [need to do] a little better with hit-and-run and better base stealing, also trying to accomplish a pitching rotation,” Armanini said. “Mountain View has very good sportsmanship, and they were a fun team to play.”
