“I expect that we will win this game. We have been working hard, so it should pay off and show in game situations,” said Ashley Trierweiler before the game on March 2.
Presentation High School from San Jose went 17-10 last year, finishing in 11th place in the Central Coast Section. Comparatively, the Scots finished their last season 24-5 and went all the way to the CCS championship game.
On March 2, junior Mailey McLemore threw a strike for her first pitch as the sun shone down on Jim Liggett Field. However, like the weather, Presentation’s bats were hot early, scoring twice on sacrifice ground balls to Carlmont’s shortstop.
In the top of the second inning, with one out and the bases loaded, Presentation capitalized on an infield error, which brought their lead to three runs. The next batter sent McLemore’s pitch to the left field fence, clearing the bases and ending McLemore’s time on the mound.
With one out in the second inning, junior Abygail Lan replaced McLemore on the mound. Lan finished the inning without giving up a run and no-hit her first nine batters. McLemore moved to the outfield and finished the game with three hits and three RBIs.
Down 0-6 early, it seemed that the Scots were going to end up like Presentation’s previous opponent. The Panthers demolished Gilroy High School 14-4 on Feb 28.
“We just thought ‘it’s early in the game.’ […] We had a chance of coming back if we keep our morale up,” said Lan.
Cameron Kondo, a senior who would score and get a hit in all three of her at-bats, started the bottom of the second inning by hitting the ball under the diving Presentation shortstop. Sophomore Eimear Cunningham followed by drilling a single to left field.
After both runners moved into scoring position, freshman Amanda Kondo blooped into center field, which scored Cameron Kondo and put Carlmont on the board. Senior Jaime Madigan’s single scored Cunningham. Recognizing that Presentation’s third baseman was off the bag, Amanda Kondo stole third then dashed home, as the catcher’s throw rolled down the left field line.
Carlmont would load the bases again and score three more times, ending the second inning tied 6-6 with the Panthers.
Two innings later, Michaela Spielman laid down a sacrifice bunt, which moved sophomore Ashley Trierweiler into scoring position. McLemore lined a double to the right corner wall, scoring Trierweiler.
After Cameron Kondo was hit by a pitch, with Scots on first and second base, Lan lifted the ball into shallow right field, scoring Cameron Kondo. The inning ended with the Scots leading 8-6.
Presentation would touch home again in the fifth inning. Their leadoff hitter reached second base with a deep fly ball that split the Scots’ left and center fielders. A liner to right center gave the Panthers runners at the corners with one out. Presentation’s pitcher grounded into a fielder’s choice, putting her team within one run.
The Panthers threatened to take the lead in the top of the sixth. After tying the game, a Panther lined a single into right field, and the base runner raced past second base. However, she came screeching to a halt when the right fielder, Cunningham, fired a strike to the third baseman, who promptly tagged the base runner and trotted toward the dugout.
In their last at-bats, Carlmont regained the lead and added insurance runs. After a long battle, Spielman crushed a bomb to the right field wall and landed on second. McLemore followed her teammate with a double of her own, which scored Spielman.
Two consecutive singles and a double brought the score to 11-8, and a full count sacrifice fly to center field moved both runners and extended the Scots’ lead even further. Carlmont’s final run came when sophomore Kate Berce hit a grounder towards an uncovered first base, allowing Amanda Kondo to touch home.
In the last inning, Lan gave up a home run which brought the score to 13-9, then struck out the final Panther.
After the game, head coach Marco Giuliacci said, “I thought it took a lot of focus and team spirit to come back.”
Lan stated that Mailey was the game’s MVP, and that the team had rallied behind McLemore “because she caused a huge streak of runs.”
“It seems like we have more discipline now [when compared to last year], both with our attitudes and actual playing,” said Trierweiler.
Giuliacci took over the team this year from longtime coach Jim Liggett.
With Giuliacci, “we get a different perspective on the game, one of a younger and more modern coach. It’s also a lot more dynamic,” said Trierweiler.
