San Marcos spoiled the return of former coach Alex Sheldon by beating his Santa Barbara team 7-2 in a Channel League softball game on Tuesday.
“It was strange,” Sheldon described of the feeling coming back to San Marcos as an opposing coach. “I’m wearing green, and we’re going to the other dugout. I look across and see my former assistant Jack Coy and he’s wearing blue.”
Sheldon coached the Royals softball team for five years before the district transferred him to Santa Barbara
He received a warm reception from his former players and from the parents of players he coached.
“It was real neat seeing the kids I coached the last four years on varsity,” he said. “But once the game started, it was all about the game and coaching.”
Royals pitcher Kristen Berlo was dominating, striking out 15 and allowing three hits, all coming in the seventh inning.
San Marcos took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a leadoff single by Hannah Johnson, a stolen base and a RBI double by Angel Mermis.
The Royals blew the game open with four runs in the thrd inning. Berlo doubled, Hannah Ball and Johnson drew walks and hits by Amy Medina and Maria Perez and a Santa Barbara error gave them a 5-0 lead.
San Marcos added two more runs in the fourth inning on a walk to Berlo followed by a home run by Hannah Ball.
Berlo was one out away from a no-hit shutout when consecutive hits by Santa Barbara players Angela Biancone, Sheila Lopez, a double and Arianna Leos resulted in two runs.
Stephanie Swann was the lone player with multiple hits going 2 for 3 with one stolen base while seven of the remaining Royals recorded at least one hit.
San Marcos is 4-2 overall and 2-0 in league and Santa Barbara falls to 4-7 and 0-2.
Santa Barbara…000 000 2 – 2 3 1
San Marcos…….014 200 x – 7 8 0
A. Leos, Juarez and Lopez, SM: Berlo and Flattery. W-Berlo (4-2), L-Leos
2B—SB: A. Leos. SM: Berlo, Mermis. HR—SM: Ball
