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Solid pitching by Sexton powers Galt to win over McClatchy
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Photo by Paige Lampson
Riley Sexton winds up a pitch during Galt’s first preseason game against McClatchy. Sexton, a freshman, threw 13 strikeouts and a complete game as Galt’s newest pitcher.
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By Kerensa Uyeta-Buckley
Herald Sports
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Galt varsity softball pitcher Riley Sexton could easily be intimidated by the fact that she is the youngest member of a three-woman pitching rotation.
On Thursday, Sexton showed no signs that she was a rookie, and proved her talent against a McClatchy team that went 15-0 in the Metro League last season.
Sexton had 13 strikeouts, gave up one unearned run and six hits against the Lady Lions, and Galt won 7-1 in their first preseason game.
Galt scored two runs in the fourth inning to break a scoreless game, scored one in the fifth, then scored four more in the sixth inning.
The Lady Warriors scored their first runs with back-to-back hits in the fourth inning.
Leanna Reyes hit a single to lead off the inning, then Bailie Diehl drove Reyes in with a double for a 1-0 Galt lead.
Kim Briggs then hit a single to score Diehl for a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Sexton led off with a single.
Jessie Douglas, who was acting as a courtesy runner for Sexton, scored when McClatchy botched a throw to second base to try to throw Douglas out.
McClatchy’s lone run came on Galt’s only error of the game, in the fifth inning.
Senior Breanna Ruiz hit a ball that was improperly fielded, which allowed senior rightfielder Sara Meyer to score, making it a 2-1 game.
The Lady Warriors then added some insurance runs in a four-run sixth inning.
Diehl, who led off with a single, scored on a single by Andrea Hanchey that brought the score to 3-1.
After Dominique Perry walked to load the bases, Dani Wise hit a sacrifice to score Briggs for a 4-1 score.
A passed ball moved up Alicia Villano, who pinch ran for Perry, and Hanchey to second and third base before Morgan Greenhaw hit a single that scored both runners for the final score of 7-1.
In all, the Lady Warriors had eight hits, four earned runs, and a walk against McClatchy pitcher Gabby McDaniel, who pitched a complete game and took the loss for the Lady Lions.
While the game was the first of the year for Galt, it was the third for McClatchy, which took home its first loss.
McClatchy has six players on its roster in addition to head coach Mike Pipe from its 2007 Metro League championship team.
“We felt like if we could keep the ball down, we could be successful against her,” Galt head coach Jim Briggs said of McDaniel after the game Thursday. “Our kids did a good job of not chasing balls that were up,” Briggs said.
Diehl went 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI, Wise went 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI, and Briggs went 2 for 3 with one run and one RBI.
“We came out aggressive early in the count, we were able to throw some balls up, and it fell in,” Briggs said of the fourth inning.
“I’m just really happy that our girls came out and swung the bat, and our defense played very, very well,” Briggs said. “When they started to get a little momentum going, we made a great relay throw and threw that girl out at third on what would have been a triple.”
Galt will play its next game Friday, when it goes to the LeDoux Tournament for the first of two days at the tournament.
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