Prep softball: Peña stars as Marin Catholic stymies San Rafael

Selina Peña pitched a complete game, got the big outs when she needed to, and started the game-winning rally with a hit in the top of the seventh to lead the Marin Catholic softball team to a 3-2 victory in an early-season showdown against San Rafael on Wednesday.

“She was good today,” MC coach Dave Albini said of his pitcher. “She’s been improving, too. We’ve been working hard in practice and working on certain locations and she’s really hitting her spots a lot better this year.”

Peña pitched seven innings for MC (3-0-1, 2-0 MCAL), striking out 14 while allowing three hits and two runs – only one of them earned.

“I think a lot of it is staying within myself, “Peña said. “Up until now, we’ve been battling constantly and we never fail to keep up that battle toward the end of the game. I really just try to keep it consistent.”

San Rafael (3-1, 1-1) finally got to Peña in the bottom of the sixth inning, tying the game at 2-2 after Sophia Everett and Thomara Drummer came around to score during Angel Amesa’s at-bat.

Peña got the third out of the inning then led off the top of the seventh with a single that dropped just in front of the right fielder.

“Through that at-bat, I told myself that it’s fine either way it goes but I just told myself that I have to make contact,” Peña said.

San Rafael’s Drummer got the next two outs before Lana Wihlborg hit a single past second base to drive in a pinch runner for a 3-2 lead.

Peña induced a pop out, a ground out and then closed out the game with her 14th strikeout to finish off the Bulldogs.

“Our team, it’s very young and they played great,” Albini said. “I’m excited about the season. We know these games are early games. San Rafael beat us twice last year in these games and then we beat them in the playoffs. We know those games aren’t as important until you get to the playoffs, but we have to get to the playoffs.”

San Rafael had opportunities to score two-out runs in the third and fourth innings but Peña came up big with strikeouts to end both threats.

Everett hit a ball to the warning track in the third inning, ending up with a two-out triple. Albini warned his players against making high-pressure throws while Everett was anywhere on the basepaths but Pena struck out the next hitter to end the threat.

“We kind of said with Sophia that we were going to pretend like she wasn’t on base because I didn’t want the girls chasing her with the ball basically,” Albini said. “I said to them if she ends up scoring, she ends up scoring. Let’s just focus on the girls at the plate or the other girls. She’s such a dominant player, if you start focusing on her it’s going to be tough on you.”

MC manufactured its first run in the exact scenario that Albini had warned his own players about. Freshman Morgan Carlson reached on a single in the top of the fourth then advanced to second on a groundout by Grace Berringer. Carlson decided to go for third base as well and came around to score on a throwing error.

MC doubled its lead in the top of the sixth with Carlson hitting a two-out single then advancing to second on the throw. Berringer followed with a single to shallow center to score Carlson for a 2-0 lead. Bella Ferrity followed with a line drive up the middle but Everett made a spectacular diving catch to end the inning.

Everett started San Rafael’s two-run rally in the sixth with a bunt single. Everett took second then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Drummer drew a walk then stole second, allowing Everett to steal home and cut the lead to 2-1.

Drummer went to third on a wild pitch then tied the game on Amesa’s fly out to right field.

Around the county

• Redwood scored early and often in a 18-1 victory against Terra Linda in 4 1/2 innings on Wednesday. Addy Dunn, Elle McElreath, Maizy Crawford, Ashley Ball, and Ava Brown all drove in two runs apiece for the Giants (4-2, 2-0).
• Paige Murphy pitched a complete game and scored three times to lead Archie Williams to a 5-0 victory against Tam Wednesday. Murphy allowed four hits and struck out 10 hitters in the circle and added two hits, a walk, and an RBI at the plate. Kennedy Dunsing added two hits and two RBIs for the Peregrine Falcons (2-2, 1-1). Ava Lee had two hits to lead Tam (1-3, 0-2) and also struck out nine hitters in seven innings in the circle.