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Lady Warriors are looking for help in SVC championship quest
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Photo by Paige Lampson
Galt infielder Kim Briggs tosses the ball back to a teammate Thursday against Ponderosa.
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By Kerensa Uyeta-Buckley
Herald Sports
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With just two games left in the regular season, Galt’s varsity softball program is counting on a little help in its climb to the top.
The Lady Warriors, who were in second place before Tuesday’s game against Cordova with a 9-4 record, needed to have Oak Ridge lose at least one game in order for Galt to have a chance at the Sierra Valley Conference championship.
If Galt won both of Tuesday and Thursday’s games and Oak Ridge lost one of its last two games, the result would leave the teams in a tie for first place.
Raven Ikeda’s RBI single in the top of the seventh inning of Thursday’s SVC game between Galt and Ponderosa might have rattled Galt pitcher Riley Sexton.
Instead, the freshman starter got the next two Ponderosa batters to pop up, sending Galt home with the 4-3 victory and keeping their championship hopes alive.
The win kept Galt in second place, a half game behind Oak Ridge prior to Tuesday’s game against Cordova.
More importantly, it kept the Lady Warriors in the race for the postseason, which starts May 16.
The top three teams in the SVC will face the top three teams from the Metro League and the second seed from the Sierra Foothill League in the section playoffs, which take place at Sacramento Softball Complex.
Galt needed to have win at least of its last two games, including Tuesday’s home game against Cordova and Thursday’s conclusion at Cordova to reach the section playoffs to guarantee itself a berth to the playoffs.
The third team to reach the playoffs could be either Union Mine or Ponderosa, depending on how the teams fare in their last two games.
Galt’s win against Ponderosa was a much-needed one; the Lady Warriors lost to Ponderosa 2-1 one day earlier in Shingle Springs.
Galt head coach Jim Briggs said that while Thursday’s win was crucial, Galt will also be looking for help from Union Mine to knock Oak Ridge off the top of the standings.
“If we wanted to stay in the hunt for the championship, which is obviously our goal, we had to have this win,” Briggs said.
“We’re kind of counting on somebody else to help us and knock off Oak Ridge, but at least we’re still in the hunt. It’s a huge win.”
Ponderosa took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and Galt tied the score in the bottom of the first inning.
Lauren Reyes led off with a single and stole second base.
On Morgan Greenhaw’s out, Reyes advanced to third base and then scored when a Ponderosa fielder threw to third base and the ball sailed past the bag.
The Lady Warriors failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded situation in the second inning, but made the most of its rally in the third inning.
Greenhaw led off the third inning with a single, then stole second base.
Leanna Reyes then hit a bunt single that advanced Greenhaw to third base and Reyes to second on the throw to third.
With runners on second and third, Kim Briggs hit a ground rule double to left field that scored Greenhaw and Reyes and gave Galt a 3-1 lead.
After Sexton worked two scoreless innings, the Lady Warriors added their last run in the fifth inning.
Reyes reached base on an error, then advanced to second.
After Briggs walked, third baseman Bailie Diehl hit a sacrifice that advanced the runners to second and third.
Dani Wise then hit an RBI single to score Reyes for a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Kaylan Pollard reached and Ali Garcia hit a single before Ikeda’s single knocked them both in to come within 4-3 of Galt.
Sexton pitched her third complete game, giving up three runs on five hits and no walks, and had three strikeouts.
Briggs recognized Galt’s offensive efforts Thursday and said that the key to getting the win remains defense.
“The key to us winning is our defense. I don’t think there’s a game we’ve lost that we haven’t made four or five mistakes in,” Briggs said after the game.
“We didn’t make any mistakes today, no errors, and that’s the key to us winning.”
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