 | | | Dons Hana Wilbur
| | | | | | Acalanes and Campolindo finished the season in second and third place, respectively, in the DFAL softball standings and surged into the NCS tournament ready to prove themselves to all of Northern California.
Campolindo was a fifth seed in the Division II bracket and was matched up against a strong Clayton Valley team at the twelve-seed. Acalanes was also a fifth seed but in the Division III tournament, and faced off against 12th seed Encinal.
The first round of NCS was played on Wednesday, May 26th, at home for both teams. Campo's game against Clayton Valley did not go well. By the end of the third inning Campo was down by five runs. Two runs by the Cougars in the fourth brought the game in reach, as freshman pitcher Shelley Suhling settled down and held the opponents scoreless until the seventh and last inning. Clayton Valley exploded for five runs in that inning, bringing the Cougars to a rough 10-2 deficit with one last chance to score. However, in the bottom of the seventh the Cougars recognized the intensity of the situation and rallied. Thanks to RBIs by seniors Taylor Gatti and Rose Fruci as well as freshman Mia Monopoli, the Cougars brought the score to within four runs. But it was too little, too late as the Cougars fell short 10-6. Reflecting on the loss, senior shortstop Joanne Lim said, "We had some mental errors on the field that really hurt us and overall Clayton Valley just out hit us throughout the game. Although we did fight back hard during the last inning, it wasn't enough. It was definitely a tough loss."
The Dons got on the scoreboard early scoring with senior pitcher Hannah Wilbur knocking in a run in the first inning. Encinal retaliated in the sixth inning with a single run to tie the game up at 1-1. However, for the rest of the game Wilbur went lights out and didn't allow a single run. She struck out Encinal batters left and right. With the score still knotted up, the game went into extra innings and finally in the bottom of the 11th, with the bases loaded, senior infielder Tara Wilson walked in the game winning run giving the Dons a 2-1 victory. Wilbur finished the game with a complete 11 innings, five hits, one earned run, and an impressive 16 strikeouts.
With Acalanes moving on to the next round, the Dons prepared to face off against fourth seed Albany. This game went almost identically to the previous game, as Wilbur continued to dominate opposing batters giving up only one earned run. An RBI single by sophomore centerfielder Sienna Del Ponte tied the game for the Dons in the sixth inning. Once again, the game went into extra innings. In the top of the ninth, Wilson drove home freshman Natalie Goepel with the game winning run. Stellar defensive play by the Dons, in the bottom of the inning, preserved the victory and sent them into the NCS semifinals. Wilbur once again threw a complete game and had 10 strikeouts.
In the semifinals, the Dons played a powerhouse first-seeded Bishop O'Dowd squad who held the Dons to only two hits throughout the entire game. O'Dowd won 4-0 and eliminated the Dons from NCS.
Regardless both Campolindo and Acalanes softball had very successful years and look forward to whatever the future brings. Lim summarized the season by claiming: "Overall, I think we had a great season and I love my teammates with all my heart."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA