The Homestead softball team, after winning the first playoff game in program history last season, seems ready for a deeper run this season.
The Mustangs overwhelmed host Wilcox 8-1 on Thursday to clinch a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division outright title. Homestead (23-4 overall, 12-0 league) dominated from beginning to end, at the plate, in the circle and in the field.
"I'm happier that it was a little bit easier (against Wilcox) than in the past," Homestead coach Steve Allemandi said. "I didn't have to dig into the Rolaids today. The last three games we've played the kids have done an outstanding job -- we're hitting the ball well and our defense has been solid."
Added Homestead shortstop Chelsea Convissar, who helped lead the Mustangs with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with a solo home run and a triple: "It feels good. This is what we've been trying to do all season. We just wanted to come out here and play hard. We knew it was going to be a loud game and we just wanted to keep the energy up and score first and we were able to do that."
Wilcox's dugout, as usual, was revved up from the start, but Homestead was impervious.
Homestead's Noa Yakir led off the first inning with a single and was sacrificed to second base by Claire Cali. Convissar then singled, putting runners on first and third base. Yakir then scored on a groundout and Convissar came home on an error.
The Mustangs also added a run in the second on an RBI single by Yakir.
Wilcox (21-6, 10-2) got to Homestead ace Katie Moss for one run in the second after pitcher Morgan Ratliff drew a one-out walk. Breanna Ledesma stroked a single to right field to send Ratliff to third base and then Kristen White scored Ratliff with a single.
But Homestead got that run back in the blink of an eye, as Convissar lined the first pitch of the fourth inning over the fence in left field for her seventh home run of the season, making the score 4-1 Homestead.
"It was a fastball middle-in and I was looking for it," said Convissar, a junior committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. "I could feel it off the bat (that it was gone)."
Besides Convissar's big day, Yakir and Claire Cali both went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Moss, the St. Mary's-bound senior, was efficient in the circle, allowing five hits, striking out seven and walking two.
"(Homestead) showed up ready to go," Wilcox coach Laura Stott said. "But I told my team that they didn't need to hang their heads because they earned second place in league and made CCS. I'm optimistic. I think they've had a taste of losing and I don't think they want to feel this way again."
White led Wilcox by going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
The teams will now await the result of Saturday's seeding meeting to learn their opening-round playoff opponents.
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John Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com and followed on Twitter @PrepCat
