While Santa Barbara High’s 6-1 softball victory over visiting San Marcos on Friday afternoon was a team effort, pitcher Rebecca Neilsen-Robbins and fellow-senior Katie Rodman proved to be the most dangerous threats.
San Marcos actually struck first, scoring off of an error in the top of the first. However, Neilsen-Robbins got the run back in the third when she hit an RBI double that brought Rodman home. Rodman hit two doubles in the game, eventually coming home after both. Freshman Talia Quevedo also had a strong outing with a double and two singles.
Santa Barbara's Mary Ann Giles
“This win means that we are starting off our Channel League voyage well,” said Rodman. “It’s just really good to beat our rivals.”
San Marcos finished with just two hits off of Neilsen-Robbins — singles from Natalie Williams and Jocelyn Flattery in the sixth inning that didn’t produce a run.
“We have a lot of seniors, and they have been through this before, and they’re going to respond the right way,” said Royals coach Alex Sheldon. “I am pretty confident with our group, I am just not happy with the result today… Santa Barbara beat us in every aspect of the game today.”
The game was tied 1-1 until the top of the fifth, when the Dons scored a pair of runs. Rodman hit her second double to score Angela Biancone, and Quevedo singled to send Rodman over to third. Neilsen-Robbins followed with a single to left field which got Rodman to score.
“The first time through, it was really hard to adjust to (San Marcos pitcher Corinne) Yingling’s pitching speed, but once we saw the ball once, we were all able to adjust our swings and really get our bats going,” noted Neilsen-Robbins.
It was Santa Barbara’s third straight win over the Royals.
“It’s a great start start to Channel League and our first home game,” said first-year coach Tiffany Henning, “To come out here and to score runs, hit the ball, and make great defensive plays is a great momentum booster.”
Santa Barbara’s Sam Ferries had the play of the game. It came in the top of the sixth, with two outs and San Marcos runners at first and second. A ball was hit deep to left field, landing near the fence. Ferries hurled the ball from the outfield towards home plate just in time to tag out a sliding Kelly McKay.
San Marcos' Corinne Yingling
Flattery said that energy is going to be a key factor for the Royals this season.
“I think we’re just going to come off our loss really mad and ready to win,” she said. “I think our energy is a really big problem, because we have a lot of it in the beginning of the game, and then it dies… but we just need to keep it up.”
Next week San Marcos (3-4, 0-1) will face Buena, and Santa Barbara (1-2, 1-0) will play Dos Pueblos on Tuesday.
SANTA BARBARA 6, SAN MARCOS 1
San Marcos…100 000 — 1 2 2
Santa Barbara… 001 023 — 6 9 3
Yingling and Flattery, Neilsen-Robbins and Sheila Lopez. WP — Robbins (1-2), LP — Yingling (3-4).
2B — SB: Rodman, Rodman, Robbins, Ferries, Quevedo. 3B — SB: Sheila Lopez.
