Softball wins league; loses in section playoffs
Softball team celebrates their win at league.
May 29, 2014
Tracy High’s varsity softball team finished the season the way it usually does – with a league championship and in the playoffs.
But the Bulldogs did not achieve the goal of a Sac- Joaquin Section title, losing to Sheldon, 8-3, on May 19. Tracy defeated Modesto, 10-2, in its opener on May 17. Later that day Tracy lost to Merced, 4-0, in the double elimination tournament.
Coach Greg Smith said he was dissapointed by the loss, but still proud of how far his team had come. The Bulldogs (23-6) had won the San Joaquin Athletic Association championship.
“It always hurts to lose,” Smith said. “However, it made me realize that there is more to life than just winning and losing softball games.”
Smith said he was especially proud of the team this year.
“This group of girls was a really good team,” Smith said. “We grew as a group and the team never gave up. They worked really hard.”
Smith does not want to change much for next year, though he will lose his senior talent. He just hopes that the team wins the title next year, which will be his 22nd as head coach.
“One day I would like to win a section title, “Smith said. “That’s always our goal.”
Some of the strongest players will not be on the team next year because they are seniors. Smith admits that he will miss them a lot.
“I’m going to miss their leadership, skill, and just them as people, “Smith said. “They had special personalities.”
Senior catcher Sabrina George was proud of how far the team had come during playoffs. “Getting to playoffs felt so rewarding because our team bonded so well, and it was a complete thrill,” George said. “Losing was devastating because it’s my last year on the team. It was a bittersweet moment.”
George teamed with pitcher Taylor Misfeldt to lead the Bulldogs. Misfeldt was the team and league Most Valuable Player after posting a 19-5 record with a 1.36 ERA. Misfeldt, who earned a scholarship to play at UC Riverside, struck out 205 batters and walked only 25 in 177.1 innings.
George earned honorable mention status from SJAA softball coaches with a .316 batting average. George admitted that she will miss captain and longtime teammate Jazmin Clarke the most out of everyone.
Clarke, who played outfield, was named the team and league Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Offensively, Clarke hit .359 with 31 RBI and was third on the team with 11 stolen bases. “I’m going to miss Jazmin the most because we mesh really well together and we’ve been playing together since we were 10,” George said.
According to Smith, team captain Ellie Fisher made a great impact on the team and will be greatly missed. Fisher earned a scholarship to the University of Santa Clara for softball.
“I am looking forward to playing and playing Division 1 softball,” Fisher said.
Fisher earned the team’s four-year trophy for her varsity experience and was named to the all-league second team. She missed part of the season with a broken jaw after getting hit in the face by a pitch. Fisher finished with a .522 batting average and a team-high 20 stolen bases.
Junior Hayley Nunes and Mikayla Coelho shared the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player award and both were named to the first team all-league. Nunes hit .488 with 24 RBIs. Coelho, a freshman who has already given a verbal commitment to Cal, hit .530 and led the team with 40 RBI.
“I felt really excited about the awards,” Nunes said. “Winning was my personal goal before the season started.”
Also, earning league honors were junior outfielder Alee Balanon (second team) and sophomore second baseman Sonia Reddy (honorable mention).
