Sports
Opening Win Makes 2010 Distant Memory For S.R.
Bulldogs had only one win in MCAL softball last season, but Monday's 9-2 triumph over Novato, led by Sami Mericle, Marissa Mellor and Meg Faibisch, provides optimism.
It only took the girls softball team one game to do something it took the Bulldogs all of last season to accomplish: Beat a Marin County Athletic League opponent.
Even before Monday’s 9-2 win over Novato had occurred, Bulldogs coach Carly Cabrera was confident a repeat of last year’s one-win MCAL season was not going to occur.
“Two goals we’ve already set,” she said on the eve of the league opener.
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“Last year we were one of the CIF All-Scholastic teams. That’s one of our goals: Keep the grades up.
“Second: Really strive to make the playoffs. They’ve seen the league. They know what it’s going to take.”
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Clearly, it’s going to take more efforts like Monday’s, when Sami Mericle dominated on the mound and Marissa Mellor and Meg Faibisch combined for six hits.
“We have a lot of young talent. It’s refreshing,” Cabrera said of a squad that includes just two seniors. “This is the most raw talent we’ve had in a long time.”
It starts on the mound with Mericle, who is just a sophomore. You’d never have known it Monday during her 15-strikeout performance.
“Being a freshman pitcher on varsity in the MCAL can be a bit intimidating,” Cabrera said of last season. “Now she has built up her confidence.”
Of course, an offense that can produce runs helps that confidence as well, and the Bulldogs already have demonstrated they can do that.
The core of the lineup features junior catcher Briana Williams, an all-leaguer last season, Mellor, a senior who is coming off shoulder injury, and Faibisch, a sophomore who Cabrera insists “I can count on to play any position and know what’s going on.”
Freshmen Cassie Conradi and Ashley Mellor have jumped immediately into the mix, joining another sophomore, Jenny Nguyen, as major players in the improvement process.
“It’s been a real challenge to figure out who we have,” said Cabrera, who cited basketball, cheerleading and the school’s Ski Week as three obstacles in the early going. “It’s going to be exciting once we’re able to get out on the field and see what we have.”
No doubt, Monday was one of those days.
SAN RAFAEL’S 2011 SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
Home team in CAPS
Santa Rosa 20, San Rafael 1
Moreau Catholic 8, San Rafael 1
San Rafael 9, Novato 2
Sonoma Valley 13, San Rafael 0
March 10, MARIN CATHOLIC, 4 p.m.
March 14, at Redwood, 4:30 p.m.
March 17, TAM, 4:30 p.m.
March 18, at El Cerrito, 4 p.m.
March 21, at Drake, 4:30 p.m.
March 23, at Piner (Santa Rosa), 4:30 p.m.
March 25, at Justin-Siena, 4:30 p.m.
March 28, SAN MARIN, 4:30 p.m.
March 29, PIEDMONT, 4:30 p.m.
March 31, at Terra Linda, 4:30 p.m.
April 4, at Branson, 4:30 p.m.
April 7, at Novato, 4:30 p.m.
April 18, at Marin Catholic, 4:30 p.m.
April 21, REDWOOD, 4:30 p.m.
April 25, at Tam, 4:30 p.m.
April 28, DRAKE, 4:30 p.m.
May 3, JUSTIN-SIENA, 4:30 p.m.
May 5, at San Marin, 6:30 p.m.
May 9, TERRA LINDA, 4:30 p.m.
May 12, BRANSON, 4:30 p.m.
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