The St. Patrick-St. Vincent High softball team was a bit stunned Thursday after getting upset by visiting Pinole Valley, 7-5, in the Tri-County Athletic League championship game.

It was the first loss at home all season for the Lady Bruins (21-5) and the team’s first defeat against a TCAL opponent since losing to Salesian in last year’s North Coast Section Division IV championship game. Pinole Valley (15-8), which finished second behind the Lady Bruins in the TCAL during the regular season, also managed to snap SPSV’s nine-game winning streak.

“That team gives us trouble,” SPSV manager Rich Gigliotti said of the Lady Spartans, who earned the TCAL’s automatic bid into the NCS playoffs with the championship victory. “We hit OK and had a lot of rockets that were caught, but Pinole can hit, too. It was just a really good game and they played better than we did.”

The Lady Bruins got off to a solid start. Neenah Pangilinan walked to lead off the game and Chelsea Mari followed with a one-out single. After a ground out by Jaydee Boursaw brought home Pangilinan for a run, Taya de Alba followed with a two-run homer to make it 3-0.

Pinole Valley fought right back. Vanessa House-Speakman launched a two-out homer in the top of the third and the Lady Spartans added another run when Lydia Quiros singled home Brittany Martinez to make it 3-2. Singles by House-Speakman, Quiros, Jessica Rogers and Terri Smith led to three more runs in the top of the fifth as Pinole Valley stormed in front, 5-3. The Lady Bruins answered right back when Mari ripped a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to tie it.

Pinole Valley took the lead for good in the top of the seventh when Summer White led off with a home run and Quiros followed with another homer to make it 7-5. Pangilinan managed to reach base for the Lady Bruins with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but an infield pop up and a fly out to center ended SPSV’s hope for a tournament championship.

SPSV gets more than a week off before the beginning of the NCS playoffs. The Lady Bruins are hoping Thursday’s defeat doesn’t cost them a No. 1 seed.

“I think we should still get a No. 1 seed,” Gigliotti said. “I’m hoping they look at our overall record and not just this one game.”

Sharing is caring!