High school softball players continue cross-county play
By Mari Erin Roth
Portola softball
The Tigers are 7-4 overall and 1-0 in the Mountain Valley League. They split a pair of games with the Loyalton Grizzlies May 5 and 7. The score in Loyalton for game one was 7-5 for the home team Grizzlies. Portola led off in the top of the first inning with 5 runs and held the Grizzlies scoreless until the bottom of the third when they allowed a single run. Loyalton scored another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. No marks hit the scoreboard for either team in the fifth inning. The Tigers led, 5-2 at the top of the sixth and then the Grizzlies lit up the field with 5 runs in the bottom of the inning and took the lead, 7-5. The Tigers were unable to score in the top of the 7th and that was it.
Seniors Abby Klemesrud, Micaela Coronado, Justine Rapacilo, sophomore Maggie Klemesrud and junior Alyssa Ross scored the five Tiger runs. Rapacilo, Ross and Klemesrud all hit doubles.
The Tigers did well stealing bases. Senior Sophie Ward stole three, Coronado and Ross each stole two and Rapacilo and Klemesrud stole one each.
Rapacilo pitched the majority of the game striking out 8 batters in 5.1 innings. Ward came in and struck out one of the two batters she faced as relief.
“These ladies have really started playing good ball, defensively and offensively,” said Portola head softball coach Jason Klemesrud. “It’s impressive how hard they work day in and day out to improve not only as individuals but as a team, and it shows when you see them on the field.”
The Tigers won May 7 when the Grizzlies came to Portola for a rematch, 16-9.
Portola repeated their move from game one, scoring 5 runs in the first inning, which Loyalton had kicked off with one run on the scoreboard, 5-1. Loyalton added 3 runs in the second inning and Portola added 1 run, 6-4.
The Tigers held LHS to zero the top of the third inning and put 7 runs of their own up, 13-4. PHS added a run in the bottom of the fourth then Loyalton added 2 runs in the top of the fifth, 14-6. The Grizzlies scored once in the sixth and PHS scored twice, 16-7, and Loyalton added the final 2 runs in the top of the seventh inning but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome, 16-9 for the Tigers.
Senior Rapacilo pitched all six innings for the Tigers striking out 9 batters of 40 faced. “Justine Rapacilo pitched a great game for us against Loyalton. Nine strike outs and only two walks,” said coach Klemesrud.
Alyssa Ross stole two bases, Abby Klemesrud, Maggie Klemesrud and Peyton Wicks all managed to steal a base.
Ross hit a home run. Rapacilo hit three doubles. Wicks hit two doubles. Abby Klemesrud hit a double AND a triple and Coronado hit a double.
Rapacilo, Abby Klemesrud and Wicks all scored 3 runs each! Maggie Klemesrud and Ross scored 2 runs each. Coronado, sophomore Lucinda Coronado and Ward all scored for the Tigers.
The Portola Tigers travel to Quincy today, May 10, to take on the tough Trojans at 4 p.m. The final game on the schedule for the Tigers is this Friday, May 14, in Loyalton at 4 p.m. The Tigers beat the Grizzlies May 7 and lost the previous two games. It should make for an interesting final game and a good end of the 2021 season for the Tigers.
Chester softball
The Volcanoes haven’t been winning but they sure have been playing. “We have 4 games this week and five next,” said CHS head softball coach Tony Campa. Seventeen games in their schedule have gotten the team on the field and in the game.
Chester hosts Loyalton today, May 10, at 4 p.m. The Vols travel to Burney Wednesday, May 12, and again travel, this time to Chico May 14 to challenge CORE Butte Lynx. CHS will host the Lynx Thursday, May 20, for doubleheader games at 2 and 4 p.m. The final games are another doubleheader, this time in Palo Cedro, with the Redding Lions on May 24 at 2 and 4 p.m.
Coach Tony Campa has been working with the CHS girls softball team a few years now. The Volcano girls have been persistent, always playing hard and strong to the end. Each inning they step on to the field seems like the first as enthusiasm and love of the game prevail. The team boasts some young talent, plenty to build upon. Freshmen on the team are Nashlund, Rhoads, Linsey Lewis, and Gianna Tantardino. Sophomores are Tisa Jansen and Faith Oswald. Juniors are Chloe Wiseman and Julie Polanco. Chancey Juska and Jordan Smith are the only seniors.
Quincy softball
The most recent pair of victories for the 11-1 Trojan girls was from the Chester Volcanoes May 5 and 7. The first game was in Quincy and QHS won 13-2.
The Trojans jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning with 10 runs after the Vols put up the first run in the top of the inning. QHS added a run in the second and third innings. CHS added a run in the fourth inning and Quincy matched that run, 13-2. The game ended after a scoreless top of the fifth inning.
Pitchers for Chester were freshman Abbigale Nashlund, junior Chloe Wiseman and freshman Rylee Rhoads. The three were unable to strike out any Trojans. There were some stolen bases, however. Nashlund stole a base and senior Jordan Smith stole two.
Nashlund and Smith also scored the two Volcano runs for Chester. Rhoads hit an RBI.
Senior QHS pitcher Caitlyn James scored two runs for the Trojans, as did juniors Chloe Newton, Kristin Murphy and Lexi Baumgartner. Juniors Gaia Nelson, Vivian Paige Thielman-Gifford, freshman Macy Peay, senior Haley Stewart and freshman McKynlee Gay all came across home plate to score for QHS. Baumgartner hit a home run. James and Newton each had 3 RBIs. Nelson, Peay, and Murphy hit 2 RBIs each. Gay hit a single RBI.
Newton stole two bases, Nelson, James and Gay all stole one. James and Gay also split time on the Trojan mound. Gay pitched 3 innings striking out one batter of 13 faced and James pitched 2 innings striking out four of 8 batters faced.
Game two, QHS 18, CHS 5
Freshman Macy Peay pitched 4 innings, senior Caitlyn James pitched two. James struck out 3 batters, Peay struck out two. Junior Kristin Murphy stole 3 bases, Nelson, Gay and Brystol Beatley each stole one. Thielman-Gifford and Baumgartner each hit a double. Beatley scored 3 runs. Nelson, Thielman-Gifford, Murphy, Haley Stewart, James and Gay all scored a pair of runs each. Sophomore Emma Beatley, Baumgartner and freshman Macy Peay scored a run each.
Chester Volcanoes Chloe Wiseman and Faith Oswold pitched in the May 7 game with Quincy splitting the game 3 innings each. Wiseman struck out two Trojans of 20 batters faced. Linsey Lewis hit a double and Julie Polanco hit a triple. Wiseman, Oswold, and Jordan Smith scored a Volcano run. Polanco scored two and hit 2 RBIs. Rylee Rhoads, Smith and Chancey Juska all knocked a runner in to score.
