 | | | Alex Grant-Hudd has been solid for the Dons. Photos Gint Federas | | | | | | As spring sets in, softball players from Acalanes, Campolindo, and Miramonte grab their gloves and hit the field. In the 2014 softball season, the Lamorinda teams are made up of a mix of experienced players and brand new athletes, creating an exciting atmosphere for inter-district competition.
The Cougars have had an interesting start to their season - with a unique combination of elite players and novice athletes - but they put in a lot of effort to create a cohesive team.
"The girls are working hard," said Campolindo head coach Bill McLaughlin. "We have a lot of new girls on the team. A few girls have not played softball before, so we are just going over fundamentals and getting ready for the second half of the season."
So far, the Cougars are 1-3 in DFAL. They triumphed over Las Lomas in their first league game of the year, winning 14-4. But they lost to Alhambra, Dougherty Valley, and Acalanes.
Win or lose, sophomore Zoe Marrot, juniors Danielle Thomas and Charlotte McNeil, and senior Kristen Ghamghami have all been vital to the Cougars' success this season, leading the team on and off the field. The girls are all returning starters. McLaughlin hopes that with these players, the team will be successful.
"Hopefully we can get some of these key players in the right position, make a run in the second half [of the season] and make NCS playoffs," said McLaughlin, who looks forward to showcasing his team's abilities on April 10 when they play at home against Dublin. "At this point, every game is big."
Acalanes hopes to continue winning to finish the season strong. The Dons are 2-1 in league, defeating Campolindo and Dublin by scores of 6-2 and 6-4 respectively, but losing to Alhambra with a final score of 21-1.
"Things are going better than I expected. The team improves every game," said Acalanes' head coach Victor Silva. "It is a young team and I didn't think we would be this good this fast."
Sophomores Alex Grant-Hudd and Kaitlyn Johnson, junior Terri Taylor, and senior Madison Maderious have been integral to the team's success. Shortstop Maderious and first baseman Johnson were both All-DFAL players last year, racking up multiple homeruns this season, while Grant-Hudd and Taylor show strength in pitching. The Dons are optimistic that the rest of the season will go smoothly, as they get ready to face Las Lomas and Miramonte in upcoming weeks.
Miramonte is simply looking to improve their team this season, taking things one game at a time. With a new coach and a talented group of girls, the Mats are ready for action.
"As a new coach my goals for the season are to improve the image of the sport at the school and in the area by being more competitive in league games and impressing the importance of dedication and hard work on my team," said head coach Emily Hunt.
The Mats are 1-2, defeating Las Lomas 10-1, but losing to Dougherty Valley 6-0 and Alhambra 14-0. Key contributors for the Mats are junior Caitlin Kozicki, who leads the team, sophomore Amanda DeVecchi, one of the team's best hitters, and senior Gina Pagan, a solid pitcher.
"We are looking forward to playing Campolindo and Acalanes for the first time this year and competing against them better than we have in years past," said Hunt. "[NCS] would be a great goal for the girls to have but right now we are just focusing on improving as individual players and as a team."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA