Start with solid pitching by a veteran senior, throw in a banner day at the plate by a talented sophomore, and you have a recipe for a big semifinal win for the Dos Palos Bronco varsity softball team.
Last Thursday before a hometown crowd, the Broncos defeated McLane-Fresno, 5-0, in the semis of the Central Section Div. V championships.
The victory for Dos Palos, ranked No. 2 in Div. V, puts them in the section championship game this Thursday against the No. 1 ranked Orcutt Academy High School. The game will be played at Margie Wright Diamond on the campus of Fresno State. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Coach Irene Lelandais’ squad currently has an overall record of 19-8-1, including 9-1 in the West Sierra League. More importantly, they are riding an eight-game winning streak. They opened up the playoffs with a 12-2 win over Sierra-Tollhouse and then they pummeled Chavez-Delano, 6-1.
Against McLane, senior right-hander Breann Raney was dominate in the circle. She limited the Highlanders to just one hit and walked only one batter. She finished the game with four strikeouts and relied on her teammates to provide stellar defense.
The Broncos pounded out 10 hits and four of those came from sophomore Carly Brinkley. She had three singles, a triple, and scored three times. One of those runs was courtesy of a clutch suicide squeeze bunt put down by Jayla Bland, who also finished the day with a pair of hits.
“It was a great game,” said Coach Lelandais. “Breann pitched a great game and we just played good, solid softball. Defensively, we made every play, including turning two double plays.”
As for the Orcutt Spartans, they are living up to their top seed, having defeated Rosamond, California City, and Hoover-Fresno.
“Softball is pretty competitive over on the central coast, and Orcutt has played some really competitive teams,” Lelandais said.
One advantage the Broncos may have is Mother Nature will be bringing in the first heat wave of the year, which coastal teams like Orcutt are not used to.
“It’s going to be 100 degrees. We are used to it and they are not,” said Lelandais. “But overall, I think we are well-matched with Orcutt and have a very good chance. Our pitching is strong, offensively we are playing good small-ball. We’re going to have a good week of practice and I feel pretty confident, and so do the girls.”
