USD softball opens season

Toreros win two of six total games in weekend-long USD Softball Tournament

Anderson Haigler / Sports Editor / The USD Vista

On a night that was brutally cold by San Diego standards, the University of San Diego softball team continued their opening weekend with play in the five-team USD Softball Tournament. With a large crowd of 273 fans packed into the cozy — but also frigid USD Softball Complex, the Toreros had their eyes on their second win of the season in their nightcap versus UC Riverside. After scoring two runs early, though, poor defense and a lack of offense in the game’s final six innings dealt the Toreros a 6-2 loss at the hands of the Highlanders. 

The game began as well as it could have for the Toreros, with junior right-handed pitcher Delaney Heller working her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first inning with a 3-2 strikeout. In the bottom of the frame, USD got things going offensively after preseason All-West Coast Conference outfielder Taylor Spence drew a walk on four straight pitches. Moments later, a sacrifice bunt by first-year infielder Rion Simms advanced the speedy Spence to second. An infield single to third base by senior shortstop Sara Silveyra put Toreros on the corners. And with a well-struck double to left-center field, junior catcher Madison Casiano got USD on the board, earning them an early 2-0 lead. USD softball head coach Melissa McElvain stated that she was happy with her team’s early offensive efforts.

“One thing I liked tonight is that we got out to a lead,” McElvain said. “We came out strong in the first inning and scored two runs. I think that was a really good adjustment that we got on their pitcher early tonight.”

It would not be a lead that the Toreros would hold for long. In the top of the following frame, Heller found herself in trouble once again, and this time would not emerge unscathed. After a quick two outs on a strikeout and a fly out to left field, the righty surrendered a double on the first pitch she threw to outfielder Haylee Kela, putting a Highlander in scoring position for the second consecutive inning. She would advance to third on a wild pitch, with infielder Hannah Rodriguez joining her on the base paths several pitches later following a walk. Rodriguez wasted no time in making things happen once on base, drawing an errant throw to second from Casiano as she attempted to steal the base that allowed Kela to score. After an RBI single to center from utility player Danielle Ortega cut the USD lead to just 2-1, McElvain opted to replace Keller with sophomore righty Halle Kyler. She would surrender a game-tying RBI infield single to second base before retiring the side in the top of the second. 

Kyler appeared to settle in a bit after quelling UC Riverside’s early rally, pitching a scoreless third inning before giving up a one-out double to Rodriguez in the top of the fourth. After a wild pitch allowed Rodriguez to advance to third, she issued a four-pitch walk to Ortega. Third baseman Moana Pisia reached base and advanced Ortega to third with a fielder’s choice on the following pitch, then yet another wild pitch allowed Ortega to score. Ortega wouldn’t be the only runner to score on a wild pitch in the inning, however, as Pisia came around to score on  Kyler’s third wild pitch of the inning, making the score 5-2 in favor of the Highlanders. Yet again, the heart of the UC Riverside order had given the Toreros trouble with the aid of poor defense from USD. McElvain discussed her team’s struggles on defense after the game.

“We just gave up too many free bases,” McElvain said. “We gave Riverside 17 baserunners. We had too many walks and just freebies and errors. I think we’re playing a little bit too fast right now; we just need to slow the game down, and settle in. I think if we control that, we’ll be in a much better position.”

In between the Toreros’ efforts to shut down the Highlander offense, USD wasn’t able to get much of anything of their own going at the plate, with junior right-hander Jacey Boles enjoying a dominant outing with the exception of the first inning. They managed just four hits through the final six innings, leaving six runners on base in the process.

“(Boles) was a little sporadic early in the game,” McElvain said. “And then she did a really nice job of settling in and just attacking the strike zone a little bit better. She would get ahead in early the count and then throw out of the zone. We just weren’t disciplined enough, we were chasing a little bit out of the zone. She got us off-balance.”

After surrendering one final run to UC Riverside in the top of the seventh inning, the Toreros failed to mount a comeback in the game’s final inning, ultimately losing the nightcap of their Saturday doubleheader by a score of 6-2.

Things weren’t all bad for the Toreros on the weekend, however. The previous night, they enjoyed a thrilling, 3-2 walk-off comeback victory over Portland State University, as well as a 6-3 win in their rematch with the Highlanders in the final game of the tournament on Sunday afternoon, moving their record on the season thus far to 2-4. McElvain shared her early impressions of her team after their first weekend of play.

“The results aren’t what we would like to see, but it’s very early in the season,” McElvain said. “We play 51 games or so on our schedule, and we’re gonna settle in. We just need to slow it down a bit on defense. I do like this team a lot, I’m not too worried, there’s just things we need to adjust, and things we need to work on in some more game-speed situations. Just little adjustments, and we’ll be okay. This is a team that doesn’t quit, and they’re just gonna keep on fighting and I love that about them. I’m excited about where we’ll go from here.”

The Toreros will return home for the San Diego Classic tournament on Friday, March 1.