Acalanes Dons traveled for the first time this season to face off against Deer Valley High School in Antioch and were victorious over Wolverines 8-4.
Senior Co-Captian Hailey Stripling, who is heading to Rutgers to play softball next year was the star of the game for the Dons. as she went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Acalanes Varsity Dons in hits. She also scored 3 runs to lead the team in runs as she has in all three games so far this season. Stripling also anchored the defense at Shortstop, and the Dons were sure handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. 3B Avery Robb also had a stellar game, making several great plays while 1B Tess Gundacker, 2B Emmi Cronin and C Esa Orman defended brilliantly all afternoon.
Frosh Maya Shoenhair got the start for the Dons. The fireballer lasted four innings, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out one and walking one with an extremely efficient outing only needing 55 pitches to get through 4 innings. Lana Cerejo came in to slam the door shut and finished off the game by pitching the last 3 innings, highlighted by a 3 up, 3 down inning in the 6th.
Offensively, the Dons got things started in the first inning as Stripling smashed a ball to right that got past the RF which allowed Stripling to get all the way to third on the hit. Orman then grounded out, scoring the first run of the game.
Most of the scoring took place in the 3rd as Acalanes notched four runs in the inning. Emme Young led off with a walk, followed by a single from Stripling and then Orman crushed an outside pitch down the right field line for a triple to drive in 2 runs. Gundacker then got Orman home on a ground ball, and finally Lulu Levy scored the 4th run of the inning after getting on with one of her 4 walks, followed by a Shoenhair single to move her to third and eventually Robb brought Levy home.
This scoring burst put the Dons up 6-1 and the defense continued to deter the Wolverines from getting anything started. The outfield with Young in CF, Levy in LF and Sophia Alvarado in RF made several key plays and the Dons wrapped up the game with a final score of 8-4 to stay undefeated on the season.
Next up – Thursday San Leandro at Acalanes