Comets settle with loss despite high scoring game
Comets prepare for artificial field, still unable to grab win
Mar 4, 2015
The Comets played their last two games before their Bay Valley Conference opener Thursday, taking on City College of San Francisco and losing both 20-2 and 24-10 Saturday.
CCC (0-8 overall) had its best shot at victory all year facing the Rams (2-7 overall and 2-1 in the North Coast Conference) on its home turf, playing on the first artificial surface the Comets have seen all year.
“We prepared for the turf all week,” Comet coach Karolyn Gubbine said. “We took good angles on the ball. It worked to our advantage a few times on offense.”
The squad scored more runs in the doubleheader than it scored in all of its games this season combined. It will need to score when the Mustangs of Los Medanos College come to challenge CCC on the Softball field Thursday. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m.
Late in the first game against CCSF, Comet third baseman Roggell Ryan hit her first home run of the season on a rocket that shot over the infield. The turf and field configuration gave Ryan a better chance to score.
“I think we played the best we have all season because we put (runs) on the board,” Ryan said. “I look forward to pitching again also. I’ll be working on it more in practice.”
The Comets made good contact with the ball but could not translate the knocks into base runners.
CCC lost the first game 20-2.
In an inversion of her usual pitching rotation, Gubbine started Cicily Ragsdale in the first game, leaving Melissa Watkins to take the mound in the second game.
The team got bunts down and moved runners over. The team averaged two runs per inning in the second game.
Watkins left the game early due to arm pain leaving Ryan to take the hill after pitching in practice for the first time earlier this week.
“Jo-Jo (Ryan) was nervous early and really had trouble finding her footing,” Gubbine said. “A few pitches got away from her. It was her first time pitching in a game.”
The coach still has many players playing out of position. Although, she finds a positive in the shifts as it gives newer players a chance to see the game from multiple perspectives and help them adjust to game speed at this level.
Newer players go through drills with intensity in practice and against CCSF the bottom of the lineup came through, putting runs on the board, in the second game. Sofia Morin, Catherine Nieva and Gina Balan all registered RBIs in the game.
CCC’s first signs of momentum of the year stalled in the second game and the team ran into some fielding trouble late.