In the bottom of the sixth inning against L.A. Harbor College, Yasmin Antonio, outfielder, stepped up to bat.
Antonio made a huge play when she hit the ball to right centerfield to score a double.
Next up, Kendall Roles, outfielder, hit a fastball toward third base. It bounced out of the enemy’s glove, giving Antonio the opportunity to advance to third, while Roles made a double.
After Barbara Goodwin struck out, Jacklyn Peyrefitte, third baseman, hit a groundball to short. Roles, between second and third, was called out for interfering with the defender by running out of the baseline, thus ending the sixth inning.
El Camino College lost 6-0 in a very disappointing game to their local rivals, L.A. Harbor.
“I felt disappointed because I knew that’s not what we were,” Peyrefitte said.
The Warriors have had a good season, with “big wins against good teams,” coach Elaine Martinez said.
This devastating loss came after a three-game winning streak against teams like Long Beach, East Los Angeles and Compton.
Now the Warriors need to focus on beginning the game with the same fight they exhibit at the end of the game, Melissa Sanchez, assistant coach, said.
“They need to work on having the intensity they have at the end of the game, at the start of the game,” she said. “It takes a couple innings for us to get going and that’s been our downfall.”
The girls know what they need to do to attain their goals.
The warriors plan to get ahead in the beginning of future games “by staying focused and thinking about what we have to do,” Peyrefitte said.
The Warriors had a strong starting lineup, including Vivian Santacruz on first base, Barbara Goodwin on second base, Jacklyn Peyrefitte on third base, Kendall Roles in left field, Alia Williams in center field, and Yasmin Antonio in right field. Marissa Merced pitched to begin the game and Faafili Taamilo was catcher.
The captains, Alia Williams, Vivian Santacruz, and Eliana Gomez all “lead by example”, Sanchez said.
Merced has been a surprise this season, “pitching very well on the mound,” Martinez said.
Santacruz has also proven to be a very solid first baseman, making “hard plays look easy,” she added.
The team looks forward to “fresh beginnings,” Sanchez said, with a new team and new coaches.
With the addition of these new coaches are higher expectations and requirements. Weights, conditioning, study hall and fund-raiser functions are added to their routine of school, practice, and for many players, work.
“They’re doing a really good job with adapting to the new program, the new requirements and standards we’ve presented them with, and they’ve definitely met them,” Sanchez said.
The Warriors have not let this defeat get in their way, and they maintain a passion for the game.
“Heart is something we can’t teach them,” Sanchez said. “Heart is something they have individually, that they have to find, and they’ve found it.”