Following three straight losses in Foothill League softball play, the Castaic Coyotes are back to .500 on the season after a 15-5 win over the Golden Valley Grizzlies, their eighth win of the year.
“It was a really great win in terms of energy,” Castaic head coach Garrett Leon said. “We were all in it. We were all hyped for the game and we just had each other’s back, and it was a great victory.”
Prior to the game, the Coyotes (8-8, 3-7) celebrated three seniors in Alexis Steen, Emma French and Sophia Langer.
Leon said that the underclassmen on the team really wanted to deliver the win for their senior group and wanted to start the game swinging hard and early against the Grizzlies (4-15, 0-9).
In the first inning, the Coyotes jumped to an early six-run lead that was highlighted by a Charlotte Wheeler two-run single.
After the game, Leon added that the Coyotes’ approach was well executed, and the team played hard throughout the game.
“I wanted to make sure the girls were having good at bats, and if they were hitting line drives,” he said. “So, they were hitting line drives, no pop ups … And so as long as they hit line drives and ground balls to put some pressure on the defense, we’re going to let them hit.”
Wheeler ended the game with the biggest performance at the plate from the Coyotes as she went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs along with a triple.
In the circle, Katelyn Eppenbaugh started the game for the Coyotes and despite a five-run inning in the second, threw six scoreless frames.
Leon said Eppenbaugh pitched well in the win and shut down the Grizzlies from scoring any more runs.
Eppenbaugh ended the day having thrown a complete game and struck out four.
“She was pretty amazing today,” he said. “In the second, she had an error … so if that didn’t happen, she might have thrown a shutout today. She just threw a lot of strikes, and she had a lot of guts.”
With the win, the Coyotes are 3-7 in Foothill League play but remain in contention for at-large berth into the playoff should the team remain at .500 or above in the season.
Leon believes with a few more wins in league play, Castaic softball could be featured in this year’s postseason following the home win and the momentum it can bring.
“This is a pretty big one for us,” he said. “If we could end with a win against Canyon, then that puts us in a good position for fifth place and maybe a wildcard spot. So, it was a big win for us.”
The Coyotes play again on Thursday on the road against the Hart Hawks with first pitch scheduled for 3:15 p.m.
As for Golden Valley, the Grizzlies remain winless in the Foothill League with a 0-9 record but will look to bounce back on Tuesday on the road against the Cowboys at Canyon High School with the game scheduled for 3:15 p.m.
