The Lady Jags varsity softball team wrapped up a rebuilding
campaign on May 16, dropping both ends of a double-header to Casa
Grande, 8-1 and 5-4. The losses left the ladies with a final season
mark of 5-12 and 1-11 in Sonoma County League play.
Although the wins were hard to come by this season, Windsor¹s
young squad should benefit from a year of experience and seasoning
in the tough SCL. The Jags will lose ace pitcher Christine Zankich
and outfielder Lauren Rusert to graduation but will return the rest
of their roster in 2007.
³I think we had as much talent as most of the other teams in the
league this year, but they just had more experience than we did,²
Windsor coach Dennis Lucchesi said. ³We had a tendency to play to
the level of the competition, we played the good teams well but we
played badly against the weaker teams.²
The ladies traveled to third-place Casa Grande for a
double-header on Tuesday, sending sophomore Danielle Landen to the
hill in game one opposite Casa starter Carly Shepherd. Landen
allowed just one run in the first three innings, but a couple of
Windsor errors in the fourth opened the floodgates, leading to
seven runs for a commanding, 8-0 Casa lead. Zankich and Aimee
Nealon came on to pitch an inning of relief, but the Jags fell,
8-1. Pacing Windsor¹s three-hit attack were Stacey Barnes (1 for
3), Jamie Burgess (1 for 3) and Lauren Rusert (1 for 2).
Zankich climbed the hill in the nightcap, and held a lead in the
third inning. In the rally, Nealon led off with a walk, and
advanced on a double from Katelin Riolo. Catcher Jill Rizo followed
with an RBI knock to score Nealon, and Jamie Burgess plated Riolo
on a fielder¹s choice for a 2-0 Windsor lead. A great play by Casa
shortstop Heather Salgado prevented further damage.
The Lady Gauchos came back in the bottom of the frame, taking
advantage of a pair of Windsor errors and a two-run triple from
Nikita Zaharin to grab a 3-2 lead. Casa led 5-2 when the Jags
tallied a pair of seventh-inning runs for the eventual 5-4 Gaucho
victory. Riolo (1 for 3, 2B), Rizo (1 for 3, RBI), Rusert (1 for 3)
and Eileen Depenbrock (1 for 3) accounted for all the Windsor hits.
Zankich took the loss, while Ashley Tieken notched the win for Casa
Grande.
All league notes: In a vote of SCL coaches on Monday, Zankich
was named to the second-team all-league squad.
