Huskies end Indians' season

Bard two-hits nation’s No. 1 team, but gets no run support

By ERIN LAWLEY
Register Sports Writer

SACRAMENTO - Napa High’s softball team showed it can hold its own against the country’s best.

Sheldon-Elk Grove, the nation’s No. 1 team according to Rivals.com, beat the Indians 2-0 Wednesday evening in the consolation bracket of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

“It was special from the start since we returned all our players,” Napa head coach John O’Connor said. “We did even better this season. It was a very special season. Hopefully it’s a memory for all of them their whole lives. It is for me.”

Sheldon (29-2 overall) continued on Wednesday night with a game against Fairfield — which had lost 4-1 to Elk Grove earlier in the day — and beat the Falcons 3-0 to advance to today’s 5 p.m. championship game against the Thundering Herd.

Elk Grove, which is undefeated in the postseason, beat Sheldon 4-3 on Tuesday. An Elk Grove loss this evening will force a 7 p.m. game for the title.

Sheldon’s Lindsey Ziegenhirt drew a walk to lead off the fourth inning and was sacrificed to second on Jolene Henderson’s bunt. She scored two pitches later on Danielle Henderson’s line drive to center field.

The Huskies managed an insurance run in the sixth inning when Jolene Henderson reached on an error, took second on a passed ball and scored on the second misplay of the frame.

The Indians picked up two hits: a double from Devin Caldwell and a single from Jessica Perez. They stranded three runners, one in each of the first three innings.

Napa (26-6 overall) tallied a two-year total of 53 wins to beat the school record. Also shattering a record was senior hurler Mackenzey Bard, who earlier in the season broke the school record for wins by a pitcher. Her career total of 67 wins leaves much to be accomplished for future Indians.

“Breaking the individual record made me even more motivated to try harder and set a higher standard,” Bard said.

O’Connor added, “That’s been our motto: set your own standard.”

In her final season, the future San Jose State pitcher went 17-5 overall and led her team to a second consecutive Monticello Empire League championship. Napa finished fourth in the section, also for the second straight season.

“If that’s a letdown, I’ll take it anytime,” O’Connor added.

Bard knocked out 151 Ks for the season while allowing only 75 hits and 25 walks over 141 innings. During four postseason appearances, the righty gave up just one earned run — to Sheldon.

She allowed two hits and a walk to the Huskies while striking out six.

“What a way to go out,” O’Connor said.

When asked about his four seniors, Bard, Micayla Smith, Becki Heimbigner and Kalina Calantoc, O’Connor teared up and said “I don’t want to go there. I’m hurting right now.”

As were his seniors.

He coached three of them for all four years, not inheriting Smith until her sophomore season due to knee injuries.

Bard and Calantoc were as emotional as their coach and struggled to spit out their feelings of the team and their four years with the program.

“I’m going to miss team bonding with the coaches and the players,” Bard said. “We had the greatest chemistry of any team I’ve ever been on.”

Calantoc added, “The team spirit was crazy amazing. Building the relationships with the team will be something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.”

Both recalled avenging their two losses to Fairfield in the teams’ third matchup, to force a share of the MEL crown, as a highlight as well as sweeping cross-town rival Vintage for the second straight year.

Despite losing four pieces of its championship puzzle, Napa is returning its other five starters as well as several members of a JV team that went 15-0 in the MEL.

O’Connor and his crew won’t be finished for a long time.

Napa Valley Register Copyright © 2009