Hawks win Important Game, 7-4

Tiffany Arredondo

The Hawks raced to a lead in the first inning and held on for one of the more impressive wins in the short history of the program, against San Antonio Roosevelt Rough Riders at the Hawk diamond.

The Rough Riders came into the game with a 4-1 record and also had the important 5A at the end of their name. Roosevelt competes with the largest high school classification and the Hawks introduced them to a lower Grade 3A.

The Hawks looked impressive with timely hits, fielding, and pitching.

Pitcher Missy Romero is now in her third year of competition and is bringing a good anchor for the team to rally around. Pitching in softball is the most important ingredient for teams to be in the hunt each time the ump says ‘Play Ball’.

On this night the Hawks rapped six hits, which does not sound like a lot, but Canyon Lake also did something that had never been done in any game since they have started play.

Five of the six hits were for extra bases. The Hawks had four doubles and one triple helping the team forge to the win.

CLHS only had four wins last year and with the win over the Rough Riders, they already equaled their win total from last year.

“We have been working on the mental aspect,” Coach John Gallagher said. “Softball is 70% mental and 30% physical.”

Vicki Henderson hit a bases loaded double in the first inning giving the Hawks the lead that they would Rough Ride into the sunset.

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“This is more fun this year and I feel more confident,” Vicki Henderson claimed. “I was just thinking to get a hit….I was surprised thinking I would get a hit like that.”

The Rough Riders had started creeping closer as the game progressed, until Senior Tiffany Arredondo greeted the visitors with a triple putting the game out of reach and allowing the pitching and fielding to take care of the rest.

“I have been working a lot on swinging through,” Arredondo said. “I was just going to swing away and then all we had to do is play our game.”

Other Hawks that got extra base hits were, Romero (with two) and Caroline Jordan.

The team still has a lot of younger players but the team seems to be meshing nicely with all the grade levels on the roster.

“We did not back down,” Head Coach Gallagher finished. “The next five games we need to improve on our mental knowledge and then you will see the excitement and the girls having fun.”