When a softball team spots an opponent three runs in the first inning—as was the case when Los Gatos High School fell behind 3-0 against Wilcox in a SCVAL De Anza Division game April 3—it’s usually a cause for concern.
Not so for the Wildcats, who have the offensive firepower to put together a big inning on a moment’s notice. And that’s exactly what happened in a 13-5 victory over the Chargers. Los Gatos scored four runs in the top of the third inning, seven runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth to win going away. The next day, Los Gatos won the gold division of its own tournament, knocking off Santa Teresa 16-2 in the championship contest.
In the semifinals, the Wildcats beat Homestead 7-2, a team they will play two more times in league action. That Los Gatos sports a 14-1 record entering spring break is even more impressive when you consider the fact it only has an 11-player roster. Three projected starters were lost before the season even began, thinning the numbers.
That’s why Frey has thoroughly enjoyed coaching this year’s squad.
“This team just keeps fighting,” he said. “Everybody does something to help. I don’t think there’s been a game where they haven’t all played. I use all 11 girls and they all do something to help the team win.”
Second baseman Olivia Sickels, shortstop Grace Tucker and ace pitcher/first baseman Ava Norquist are some of the Central Coast Section’s premier players at their respective positions.
“The middle infield with Grace and Olivia are the heartbeat of the team,” Frey said. “They’re both senior captains and leaders. Ava Norquist obviously is a big part of the mix as well. She’s the two-time defending Most Valuable Player of the league. She’s having another great year.”
Tucker, a Dominican University-commit, leads the team in runs scored, hits, RBIs and home runs. In the Wilcox game, Sickels and Tucker both hit home runs, the latter a line-drive blast to left field that couldn’t have taken longer than two seconds to leave the stadium. Tucker went 4-for-5 with three RBIs. Two days prior in a 13-2 victory over Milpitas, Norquist blasted two home runs.
A key offensive player, Norquist’s greatest contribution comes in the circle. The junior right-hander is 7-1 with a 2.03 ERA, with 53 strikeouts over 48 ⅓ innings pitched. A Siena University-commit, Norquist is holding opponents to a .178 batting average. Danica DeSantis has also been a difference-maker, giving Frey a reliable No. 2 pitcher who doubles as an offensive threat.
DeSantis is 3-0 with a 2.75 ERA, having pitched 40 ⅔ innings. DeSantis’ ability to eat up innings has allowed Frey to preserve Norquist’s arm over a long season. In the week leading up to spring break, the Wildcats played six games in a span of seven days.
“We’re hanging in there, but we don’t have any margin for injury,” Frey said. “If we get players hurt, we’ll have to bring some girls up from JV. We have some capable players, but right now my catcher (Haley Betti) is the only catcher I have. My other catcher is Olivia, but she’s the best second baseman I’ve ever seen, so I don’t really want to throw her behind the plate.”
Hitting No. 6 in the lineup, Betti had four hits—all singles—while having another solid defensive performance behind the plate. Sophomore Alyshia LaPlante contributed hitting No. 8 in the lineup, reaching base three times. Tessa Lilienstein had two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. The outfield usually consists of Kylynne Cook in left, Cate Zeman in center and Lilienstein in right field. When Norquist is pitching, Kendall Feichtmeir plays first base. When Norquist is playing first base, Feichtmeir moves to the outfield. Frey is high on Feichtmeir and Lilienstein and their offensive potential.
“I’m pretty sure both of them will hit home runs before the season is over,” he said. “We’ve got five different girls who have hit home runs this year, so at any one time, one swing will put us back in the game. That’s the good thing about this team.”
The Wildcats have started the season strong, with quality wins over Soquel and Branham. They’ve won the De Anza Division championship in three of the last four years and are favored to capture the title again this season.
“We’re on a roll,” Frey said. “If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing, we’ll end up in the Open (Division) playoffs. We played Mitty earlier and lost 7-1, so I don’t know if we’ve closed the gap against them and St. Francis. Those two plus Valley Christian are really tough.”
