The Curtain falls on an arduous season

Monarch softball finds peak performace in their final home game.

By Nicholas Orozco, Sports Editor

After giving her sophomores flower lei’s commemorating their final sea- son with the team, head coach Andrea Contreras addresses her team of how proud she was of her team, holding the number one team in conference to two runs. (Nicholas Orozco | Valley Star)

In the final home game of the season Valley College held No.1 conference-ranked Antelope Valley to two runs, still dropping the matchup 2-0.

“I wish I had them in the fall,” said head coach Andrea Contreras regarding her team and their growth. “I got them three weeks before spring season started.”

Valley (3-29, 1-15 WSC) hosted Antelope Valley (25-12, 14-3 WSC) on April 20, for their final home game and sophomore night. The Monarchs honored five sophomores prior to the game with flowers and posters. The five were Melissa Orozco, Jessica Lopez, Violeta Espinoza, Isabel Ward and Lexus Freire.

Starting for the Monarchs on the rubber was Lopez, who pitched for the entire game as Ward was injured.

Lopez only allowed seven hits, walked four, struck out two and give up two runs.

Antelope Valley’s runs came in the fourth inning. Sophomore Alanna Hernandez hit a single into leftfield, cashing in sophomore Savannah Cervantes. Their second run was produced by freshman Annalise Wagner with a single that scored Hernandez.

The Monarchs only tallied four hits over the seven-inning matchup. The hits came from freshmen Briana Gaskill in the first, Violeta Espinoza in the fourth, Precious Romero to lead off in the fifth and Christina Camberos in a seventh-inning two-out effort.

Valley struggled against Antelope Valley’s freshman pitcher Annalise Wagner. With the lack of hits combined with base running errors, the Monarchs struggled to advance a runner to third.

Valley would drop the final home game of the season 2-0.

After the matchup, the sophomores were greeted with posters, flowers, balloons and snacks by the coaches, friends and family on the field to commemorate their time at Valley.

“We’re late bloomers, we’ll always be the late bloomers,” said head coach Andrea Contreras. “Coming back for next year, we’re creating a new culture for seasons to come.”