The 2015 regular season concluded on Wednesday for local high school softball teams and Pitman (20-6) ended their year with the best regular season record and as the first softball team in school history to reach 20 wins after defeating cross town rivals, Turlock High, 13-0.
“We want to cherish those moments. It’s not bragging when you are the only team to win 20 games and two tourneys,” said Pitman assistant head coach Greg Mettler.
Coming off an upset one-run loss to Atwater the prior week, the Pride bounced back by defeating Buhach Colony in a 11-0 shutout, which was followed by a mercy-rule victory after five innings on Wednesday to end Central California Conference play with an 11-4 record.
The Pride end the regular season having won 10 out of their last 11 contests. During that span they only allowed more than one run in two games.
In the last two games, Pitman completely shut down their league opponents, outscoring them 24-0.
“We had a good rebound with the last two games,” said Mettler. “Also reaching 20 wins gives us a better seed for the playoffs and our team has grown over the year and I believe that we are focused and can get as far as we choose to, but it’s hard to say in softball.”
Pitman had no issue controlling the pace of the game from the onset, as they kept the hitting and defense steady behind starter Alexis Mettler.
Mettler tossed a complete game one-hitter, struck out five and walked a player on a hit-by-pitch.
“I will be honest it is a tough mound, so not all pitches could be thrown, but Lexi did well and hit her spots and had some good innings,” said Mettler.
After a second inning blooper single from Turlock's Mariah Gonzalez, Alexis Mettler went on a roll after the hit and did not allow a hit in the final three innings, absolutely dominating the home team in Turlock.
In the fourth inning, Mettler went three-up and three-down after just six pitches and forced three groundouts.
Pitman's first two runs came in the top of the first after back-to-back RBI singles and a six-run second inning lifted the Pride to a 8-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second.
By the end of the third the Pride offense had added four more runs to the scoreboard with a two out rally after an Alexis Mettler RBI double. It was followed by a Morgan Aguiniga RBI single and then Hannah Martel ended it with a two-run double to deep center and the Pride stacked a 12-0 lead.
Lehua DeLeon, Nicole Bailey, Martel, Aguiniga and Alexis Mettler each came away with two hits apiece for the game behind an offense that hit .400 for the game with a dozen hits.
Pitman's JV squad set two school records this year with an overall win loss of 25-2 and an undefeated CCC championship league season of 15-0, which has never been accomplished in the history of Pitman softball.
In addition, the team took first place in the Rainbow Classic and second in the Nor Cal Classic.
“The talent and overall potential of the sophomores that will be moving up to varsity is incredible and will prove to be quite an asset contributing much to next year’s season,” said JV Pitman head coach Lynette Heinrichs. “As a program we've made leaps and bounds and have set and surpassed many goals.”
Pitman is the fifth seed in the Division I bracket and will play in Sacramento on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Nevada Union at the Sacramento Softball Complex.
