The varsity softball team started their league season strong with a commanding 12-1 victory backed with phenomenal pitching, clutch hitting, and poor defense by the Bearcats, putting a positive on a day that was supposed to be the full return of a star player from an ACL tear.
The win adds to a winning streak against San Mateo High dating back to Apr. 2019, when Carlmont got swept in their season series.
The Scots were very optimistic heading into league play, with three total NCAA Division 1 committed athletes on their roster (one verbally committed), adding to an impressive overall program from JV to varsity.
“We can’t go in being too confident, but at the same time, we should be confident against [San Mateo]. I think we should beat this team,” said sophomore Izzy Won before the game.
That confidence was warranted, as the Scots stomped all over the Bearcats, taking advantage of San Mateo’s nine errors and some badly located pitches to accumulate 11 hits for 12 runs.
Another eye-opening side of the stat-sheet for the Scots is the number of stolen bases swiped by Carlmont baserunners in the game. Senior Jasleen Singh and junior Maddie Wiessinger swiped two bags each, and senior Gabby Lee and sophomore Claire Kettwig swiped one for a total of six steals.
“We have a lot of team speed, so we’re going to use that throughout the year,” said head coach Steve Rianda. “[Stealing bases] has been a point of emphasis for our offense.”
That was more than enough run support for D1 verbally committed (San Jose State) pitcher Ava Conti, who delivered a masterful one-run performance over six innings, racking up seven strikeouts and only one walk.
“I felt really good out there, I was just trying to get at the zone and attack the hitters better,” said the junior Conti.
That efficiency allowed Conti to finish six innings with only 77 pitches, leaving her well on track to close out the game before it got called off for mercy rule.
Another variable that will factor into Carlmont’s success this year is junior Audrey Schreiner, who is on the mend from an ACL tear suffered from 2021’s season. Schreiner started the game in the cleanup spot, playing right field, her first game playing in the field since being cleared to play, but had to be removed from the game due to a complication.
Coach Rianda could not comment on the matter.
When healthy, Schreiner has the potential to be an X factor for the Scots, as she led the varsity squad in batting average, hits, RBIs, OBP, SLG, and OPS despite missing time due to her injury in 2021.
“She definitely has a big impact on our team and with her back, it’ll benefit our offense a lot,” Won said.
Carlmont has a bright future, and with all the talent on the squad, the Scots have their goals set high for their season.
