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Last week we talked about how the young Foothill High softball team had matured and battled its way into the North Coast Section Division II semifinals.
This week we’re back to share the Falcons are still playing, as the No. 7 seed in the CIF NorCal D-III Softball Tournament. But before we get to the Falcons opening NorCal game, let’s see how they got there.
In the NCS semifinals May 27, the Falcons trailed 7-3 at one point to Casa Grande but the resilient team with only two seniors kept fighting and clawing back into the game.
And it was the two seniors that provided the big at-bats.
Trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning, senior catcher Naima Braham homered to tie the game and 7-7.
Then in the bottom of the seventh, senior Eishita Singh dropped a perfect squeeze bunt to score freshman Genevieve Duncalf for the 8-7 win and a spot in the finals.
“That guaranteed us a spot in NorCal,” Foothill coach Greg Chandler said.
In the title game, they fell 2-0 to Northgate – a team that allowed two runs total in three games. But by making the finals, they were on the way to the CIF NorCal tournament.
By being the No. 7 seed, the Falcons are once again bound for road games. The difference here is NorCal covers a lot more ground than NCS does.
The team was set to open the tournament on Tuesday at No. 2 seed Las Plumas-Oroville, a team that has a 28-1-1 record. Granted the Thunderbirds play mostly smaller schools but they did beat both Chico High and Pleasant Valley on the way to their section title, two fairly well-known athletic schools.
“I don’t know too much about them, but I have been told they have some pop in their bats,” Chandler said.
While it’s a long drive, Chandler is not worried about the mindset of the girls.
“We have the mindset we are road warriors,” Chandler said. “Our girls are used to it and will be up for the challenge.”
One thing that does concern the Foothill coach is the length of the season and that is school is now out for the Falcons.
In softball it is the club season, which carries the most weight and the summer months are crucial times. Sophomore pitcher Myra Galzie – a rising junior – has a huge showcase in Southern California coming up and it’s the first time college coaches are allowed to talk with that age group.
In addition, for the two seniors, it’s the time of year when graduation trips take place.
“It’s a long trip to Oroville for the game and a lot of the girls are tired,” Chandler said. “Club softball is about ready to start, and the seniors have great grad trips planned, and I told them I wouldn’t be mad at them if they wanted to go.”
Then again, there are not a lot of teams left playing this year, leaving the Falcons in elite company.
“It’s all about making memories for the girls,” Chandler said. “I told our girls in practice yesterday that we are the last Foothill team that is practicing. That’s pretty cool.”
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. To contact him about his Pleasanton Preps column, email acesmag@aol.com.
