San Marcos Softball Falls Just Short in 11-Inning Marathon with Rio Mesa, 5-4
San Marcos senior Emma Foster lets out a roar after a go-ahead triple in the fifth inning of Monday’s battle with Rio Mesa. (Lily Chubb / Noozhawk Photo)
A clash of two playoff-bound teams in the Channel League did not disappoint, as Rio Mesa outlasted San Marcos in 11 innings for a 5-4 victory on Monday.
With the win, the Spartans (21-4, 11-2 Channel League) remain tied for first place in the league while the Royals (14-6, 9-4 Channel League) remain in control of the fourth-place spot.
“Rio Mesa is #1 in the league for a reason, they’re a Division 1 team and they’re strong,” San Marcos coach Emily Dietz said. “I’m more than anything really proud of my girls for competing every at-bat and every play.
“We didn’t go into it feeling overwhelmed or nervous, we just went in knowing that when we play our best we can play with anyone.”
Before the game, the Royals honored their five-player senior class of Emma Foster, Caitlyn Early, Tiana Monaghan, Kamilah Morales and Cindy Villa.
The San Marcos senior class of Cindy Villa, left to right, Emma Foster, Kamilah Morales, Caitlyn Early and Tiana Monaghan was celebrated in a pregame ceremony. (Lily Chubb / Noozhawk Photo)
“They’re all such great teammates and they’re really taught the younger girls how to put the team first,” Dietz said of her seniors. “As a first-year head coach, I feel so lucky that I have the leadership and guidance of those seniors.
“We are able to talk to each other and have grown-up conversations…It’s really nice to have that collaboration with them.”
The game began as a true pitcher’s duel, as Rio Mesa’s Analia Lopez had a perfect game through three innings while Lucy Dessert of San Marcos faced just one over the minimum.
The Spartans finally broke the seal in the top of the fourth on an RBI single off the bat of Jasmine Reyes to take a 1-0 lead. However, Dessert got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam with that being the only run scored.
After a scoreless bottom of the fourth, Rio Mesa doubled their lead to 2-0 on an RBI single from Lopez. Once again Dessert got back-to-back strikeouts after that to limit the damage to just one.
Then came the Royals’ offense in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Solana Sandoval led off with a single and Isa Malarkey promptly roped a double to right-center field to score Kayla Aguilar, who was running for Sandoval.
San Marcos’ Emma Foster had a big performance at the plate and in the field on Senior Day. (Lily Chubb / Noozhawk Photo)
After a single by Dessert and a strikeout, the lineup flipped over and Foster stepped up to the plate with runners in scoring position with two outs.
Foster came through on her Senior Day, roping a two-run triple into right-center field to score both runs, send the stands into a frenzy and give her team the 3-2 lead.
“Emma is just a gamer, she wears her heart on her sleeve,” Dietz said. “Today more than anything she was able to funnel that energy and intensity into making good things happen.”
One batter later, Early drove in a Senior Day run of her own, bringing home Foster on a line-drive single to left field. That was the last opportunity Early had to hit on the day, as she was intentionally walked three times in key moments down the stretch.
Both squads got multiple runners on base in the sixth inning, but Dessert and Reyes, who came into pitch in relief for the Spartans, each got out of the jam.
Heading into the top of the seventh leading 4-2, San Marcos needed three outs to clinch the victory.
However, Rio Mesa rallied to get the bases loaded and Hailey Olivera came through with a double to the right-field wall to score a pair of runs and tie the game up.
Once again Dessert buckled down when the Royals needed her, as she got two straight outs to get out of the inning and give her team a chance to walk it off in the bottom half.
It looked like they had a strong chance to do just that, as Jessica Vega led off with a single that got away from the right fielder and she scampered all the way to third base.
However, Reyes struck out three batters, with an Early intentional walk in between, to get out of the inning and send the game into extra innings.
The story of extra innings for the Royals was the defense, as Foster threw out the would-be go-ahead run in the top of the eighth from right field to keep the game tied at 4-4.
“Every game is Emma’s Senior Day and she just really thrives in those moments,” Dietz said. “She played her heart out, that’s the best game I’ve seen her play all season.”
One inning later, the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs. On a wild pitch, Gianna Mandarino popped up from the catcher position, found the ball and fed Dessert at home to gun the runner out and maintain the score. Mandarino caught all 11 innings for the Royals.
San Marcos catcher Giana Mandarino (left) congratulates Lucy Dessert (right) after another strong inning in the circle. (Lily Chubb / Noozhawk Photo)
“Giana is such a team player and she’s willing to do anything to make the team be the best they can be,” Dietz said. “She’s grown leaps and bounds from the start of the season until now in her catching ability.”
After the third straight scoreless inning in extras, Rio Mesa finally scored on a leadoff homer off the bat of Lopez in the 11th, giving her team a 5-4 lead.
San Marcos had a chance to answer in the bottom half after a single by Foster with two outs. However, Early was then intentionally walked and Reyes and Rio Mesa escaped with the 5-4 victory after a hard-fought, almost-three-hour battle.
Dessert, a freshman, was a warrior on the mound for San Marcos, going 10 ⅓ innings while working out of several high-energy jams to keep her team in the game.
“At the end of every inning, we kept asking her ‘how do you feel’ and she kept saying ‘I’m good and I want to go back out there, give me the ball,’” Dietz said. “To have that composure as a freshman and that competitive spirit against such a strong team is really promising.”
San Marcos freshman pitcher Lucy Dessert pitched all but two outs in Monday’s 11-inning showdown with Rio Mesa. (Lily Chubb / Noozhawk Photo)
“Everyone on this team looks up and cares so much about our seniors, and more than anything they just wanted to hang in there as long as possible for them.”
The Royals and Spartans will square off for a rematch at Rio Mesa on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.