Clicking on all cylinders, the Sierra College softball team swept a Saturday doubleheader, beating Folsom Lake College 9-5 and 13-0 on March 24. The Wolverines (21-6, 9-2 Big 8) have now won five in a row, moving into a first-place tie with Cosumnes River in the Big 8 Conference. The Hawks have won seven games in a row. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 31 in Rocklin.
Sierra has put together an impressive stretch despite having just 12 players on the current roster.
"The team refers to themselves as the "dirty dozen", said head coach Darci Brownell, who usually carries 20-plus players on her roster. "They can't take a day off because there's no one to take their place. And that's brought out the best in the team."
In game one, Amaryssa Medina picked up her 12th win of the season, allowing just one earned run in seven innings in the 9-5 victory. Medina leads the Big 8 with an earned run average of 1.45 and is 12-2 on the season. Emily Smith went 4 for 4 and drove in three runs, Julia Cummings had two hits and Hannah Slaight added two RBIs for the Wolverines (19-4, 9-2 Big 8). Smith is currently second in the Big 8 with a .470 batting average. Toni Whipkey is third in the conference with 24 runs batted in.
Holly Brennan shut out the Falcons 13-0 in a game that was called after five innings. Brennan improved her record to 7-2 on the season while allowing just three hits. McKenna Anderson (3 for 3) and Danielle Toschi (2 for 3) drove in four runs each and Lexi DeLozier (2 for 3), Vergie Robello, Medina (3 for 3) and Smith each had two RBIs for Sierra.
On Friday, March 23, Medina shut out Sacramento City 6-0, allowing just three hits and two walks in seven innings to win her 13th game of the season. Cummings went 2 for 3 and had two runs batted in and Smith and DeLozier added two hits and an RBI each for Sierra.
Story by Scott Johnston, photo by Dave Lawicka