2008 Senior Day
Congratulations to our seniors. We took some time before the game to acknowledge their accomplishments.
Valencia’s Bats Break West Ranch 10-0
A win against West Ranch brings the Vikings overall record to 21-5 and 6-1 in league. On a beautiful but windy afternoon, the girls jumped on West Ranch early. Madison Shipman reached on an error and immediately stole 2nd and 3rd. Lani Bernardino battled full count plus 3 foul balls to win the challenge and drove a single up the middle to plate Shipman for an RBI. Jessica Spigner received a free pass to 1st and with 2 runners on, Lauren Boser drove a ball to the fence, over the left fielder’s head, for a double and 2 RBIs. Bethany Kemp ripped a pitch to right field to continue her hot hitting streak, and then Boser scored on an infield error with 2 outs. The Vikings scored 4 times in the 1st and also in the 2nd. To lead off the 2nd inning, Shipman singled and advanced to 2nd off a ground ball by Bernardino. With a 3-0 count, Spigner shelled a low pitch to the fence in left center to score Shipman. Spigner scored on an infield error, which also put Megan Foglesong on 2nd base. Kemp hit her 2nd hit of the day to right field for an RBI, scoring Foglesong, and then Caitlin Rooney hit an outside pitch to right field to score Kemp.
In the top of the 3rd inning with 1 out, Shipman turned on an inside pitch and hit a 1 bouncer to the left field fence for a double. Bernardino hit a ground ball up the middle that the shortstop made a good play on but it allowed Shipman to advance to 3rd. Taking a called strike, Spigner crushed the next pitch into the wind, which barely cleared the fence by just about 5 feet for a 2 run homer, her 8th of the season. Foglesong followed with a shot of her own to right field and a stolen base to 2nd, but she was left stranded and that was all the runs the Vikings would need. The team tried to get something going in the bottom of the 4th when pinch hitter Lindsey Clark singled down the left field line but back to back outs ended the frame. From the circle, Spigner struck out 8 and gave up just 1 hit, an infield single. A re-match with Hart takes place on Thursday, May 1st at Newhall Park at 3:15 pm.
Valencia’s Homers Push Past Golden Valley 3-1
A windy day and 13 outs in the air made things a little interesting for the Vikings. Although they had 8 hits, they were held scoreless through 2 innings. In the bottom of the 3rd the Vikings made their move. With 1 out, Lani Bernardino bunted for a single, her 2nd hit of the day, and was moved to 2nd off a sac bunt from Caitlin Rooney. With 2 outs, Spigner hit the 2nd pitch to left center for a 2 run homer. Then in the bottom of the 4th with 1 out, Bethany Kemp clubbed her 1st home run of the season to deep center field, a “no doubter” that easily cleared the fence. Ahead 3-0 going into the 6th inning, the leadoff batter answered with a home run of her own. Spigner held them scoreless after that and struck out the side in the top of the 7th. She finished with 10 K’s and gave up 4 hits. Other hits on the day came from Megan Foglesong, Madison Shipman, and Amy Moore. This was a good win for Valencia. Next Tuesday, April 29th the Vikings host West Ranch for Senior Day.
Valencia Picks Up Momentum and Defeats Canyon 10-1
The Vikings combined for 11 hits and 10 RBIs to score 10 runs. The game started with a base on balls to Caitlin Rooney and a single by Jessica Spigner. Batting clean up, Megan Foglesong drilled a single up the middle to score Rooney and Lauren Boser followed with a consecutive single up the middle for an RBI bringing the score to 2. In the 2nd inning, Annie Dreher was hit by a pitch and then Shannon Fitzgerald singled to right field. Alyssa Garza advanced the runners 60 feet by a sac bunt. Lani Bernardino was hit by a pitch, her 7th on the season, to load the bases. Rooney came through with an RBI single, followed by a 2 RBI single to right field off the bat of Spigner. Foglesong smashed her 2nd hit of the day for another RBI bringing the inning tally to 4.
Leading 6-0 in the top of the 5th, the Vikings pushed through 3 more runs. Madison Shipman led of the inning after being hit by a pitch and stole 2nd. A ground ball to the shortstop from Annie Dreher advanced Shipman to 3rd. Fitzgerald drew a free pass to put runners on the corners and then took 2nd base on a passed ball. The hot freshman Bethany Kemp laced a liner to the top edge of the fence for a double and 2 RBIs. Subsequently, Bernardino was walked and Spigner hit her 3rd single of the day to score Bernardino for her 3rd RBI. Boser led off the 6th with a single to left field but there she stayed and the score remained 9-0.
In the bottom half of the inning, Canyon got the leadoff batter on with a single, but an error put runners on 1st and 2nd base. A walk issued to the next batter loaded the bases. Spigner got a strike out but the next batter hit a grounder to Shipman at shortstop and the run scored. During the top of the 7th, the Vikings made another rally after reaching base on an error and a single by Bernardino. Rooney hit a ground ball to short to score Garza for her 2nd RBI of the game. Next up for Valencia is Golden Valley on 4/24.
Valencia Wins Close One vs. Saugus 1-0
Coming off a tough loss to Hart, the Vikings mustered very little offense against league rival Saugus. Singles from Lani Bernardino, Megan Foglesong, Shannon Fitzgerald, and a double by Lauren Boser just weren’t enough to get much going. The score was tied 0-0 heading in to the bottom of the 7th, with Saugus only getting 2 hits. With 1 out, Caitlin Rooney drew a walk and then the next batter got out. Down to the last out, Shannon Fitzgerald received a free base pass and then Alyssa Garza was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded for Bernardino, she fouled off a pitch and received 4 straight balls for a bases loaded walk and RBI to bring in the winning run.
Valencia JV defeats Hart 7-0
Justine Sibthorp hit a home run, had 2 RBI’s & scored 2 runs. Nicole Miller pitched a complete game shutout, was 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs. Jessica Smith had a single and 2 RBI’s. Tori Balta went 2 for 4 with 1 RBI. Mel Fessinger was 1 for 2 with 1 RBI. Colleen Hart started a double play at 1st base then threw to Justine Sibthorp at 2nd base who tagged the runner out. Chanel Barritt threw out a base runner attempting to steal 2nd base.
Justine scoring on her home run.
Valencia Loses Heartbreaker to Hart 0-1
Despite a 12 strikeout performance and a 1 hitter going into the top of the 7th inning, Jessica Spigner gave up a solo home run shot with 1 out. The Vikings matched Hart stride for stride and contributed 4 hits on the day. Alyssa Garza was 2 for 2, Bethany Kemp was 1 for 3, and Caitlin Rooney was 1 for 2. Valencia put pressure on Hart in every inning except the 3rd and the 6th. Losing 1-0 in the bottom of the 7th, Valencia started an exciting rally. With 1 out, Rooney hit a single to left field, followed by a push bunt from Garza in no man’s land, which put runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. Lani Bernardino hit a grounder to 3rd which was thrown to 1st for out number 2 but Hart’s 1st baseman threw back to 3rd for a double play, catching Valencia’s runner too far off the bag. Despite the loss, the girls played a terrific game and will have a re-match at Newhall Park on May 1st at 3:15 pm.
Valencia Finishes 11th at Michelle Carew Classic
Game 1: Valencia Defeats Cypress 7-2
Lani Bernardino and Lauren Boser led the Vikings to victory. Bernardino was 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs and was also on base 5 for 5 times to include 2 HBP. Boser was 2 for 2 with a solo home run. Bethany Kemp also had an RBI and hit a triple. Valencia was held scoreless until the 2nd inning when Boser led off with a walk. Kemp then delivered with an RBI triple to right field to put the Vikings on the board. Garza beat out an infield ground ball to put 2 runners on base and then she stole 2nd before Bernardino ripped a shot to right field for 2 RBIs. Foglesong reached base on a fielder’s choice but ran all the way to 3rd off a double by Spigner. An error by the 2nd baseman allowed Foglesong to score.
Going into the 3th inning, the Vikings held a comfortable 4-0 lead, but Boser led off the inning with a monster hit to right center for her 2nd homerun of the season. Kemp and Foglesong followed with singles up the middle but Cypress was able to hold Valencia to just one. 2 more runs scored in the 4th with some help from the Cypress defense, which brought the score to 7. Cypress rallied for 2 runs in the bottom of the 4th to close the gap but it would not be enough. Boser singled once more in the 6th and Caitlin Rooney doubled but neither would score. Bernardino singled again in the 7th but was left on base after back to back ground balls to the shortstop.
Final score 7-2. Spigner picked up her 14th win of the season and struck out 6.
Game 2: Valencia is Defeated by El Camino 6-1
For 6 complete innings, the Vikings battled El Camino. After Jessica Spigner gave up a lead-off home run to El Camino in the 1st, she settled down and held the Wildcats scoreless until the 7th inning. In the bottom of the 1st, Megan Foglesong smoked a triple down the left field line but she was unable to score. Alyssa Garza singled in the 3rd and 2 more Valencia players walked, but they left the bases loaded and El Camino was able to get out of a jam to keep the lead at 1-0.
In the bottom of the 5th, Lani Bernardino led off with a walk and was moved to 2nd base by a sacrifice bunt from Foglesong. With Bernardino in scoring position and the El Camino outfield playing deliberate deep defense, Spigner hit a BOMB to the center fielder, who made a brilliant over the shoulder catch on the run, for the only RBI of the game. Because of her deep position, Bernardino tagged up at 2nd and ran home to score, to tie the game. In top of the 6th, El Camino threatened again with a two out triple that the girl tried to stretch to a home run. The ball was hit past the reach of Bernardino but she managed to chase it down and throw a perfect throw to Shipman, who then turned and drilled a laser to Moore at the plate for an uncontested tag.
Unfortunately, in the top of the 7th inning, Spigner twisted her ankle after stepping into a hole on the first pitch, which took her to the ground. Clearly, it rattled the Vikings and the infield went on to make 4 uncharacteristic errors, coupled with 2 base hits, bringing the damage to 5 runs in the final frame. The Vikings went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 7th. Certainly, they had their chances for more runs, stranding 8 runners on base. However, El Camino capitalized on Valencia’s mistakes and was the better team that night. Final score 6-1.
Game 3: Valencia Defeats El Toro 4-3
At the Nike Faster to First tournament, El Toro gave Valencia its first loss of the season by beating the Vikings 1-0. However, at Michelle Carew, it was a grudge match and both teams battled. El Toro struck the first blow off a single to left field which was misplayed allowing the runner to score. Valencia came right back in the top of the 4th inning when Jessica Spigner drove a ball to the gap in left center for a solo shot and painfully ran the bases to tie it up 1-1. Then in the 6th, Spigner reached base on a walk and Madison Shipman pushed 9-11 and hit a 2 run home run shot to right center to bring the score to 3-1. Top of 7, Alyssa Garza battled for a single up the middle with 1 out. She then stole 2nd base and advanced to 3rd base on a passed ball. With 1 out, Lani Bernardino launched a ball deep to center for a sac fly RBI, scoring Garza who tagged on the play.
For 6 innings on defense, the Vikings played tough. Spigner took a 1 hitter and 7 strike outs in to the 7th inning. The powerful El Toro hit 4 singles for 2 more runs, but with the bases packed, Spigner forced the batter to pop up to shortstop off a change up and end the game in victory. The game was a real battle and both sides fought hard.
Game 4: Valencia is Defeated by Yucaipa 6-5
Valencia struck first in the bottom of the 1st inning after Megan Foglesong walked and stole 2nd. Jessica Spigner hit an off-speed pitch up the middle for the game’s first run. Bethany Kemp led off the 2nd inning with a base hit but she was caught stealing, followed by 2 Valencia strike outs. In the top of the 3rd, Lani Bernardino and Spigner each hit singles, but 3 more strike outs prevented a run from scoring. In the bottom half of the 3rd, with 1 out, Spigner gave up a solo home run, which was followed by a walk, a double, and a single with a throwing error, to put Yucaipa up 3-1.
In the bottom of the 4th, Lauren Boser led off the inning with a double and after 2 strike outs, she was still standing on 2nd. However, a clutch RBI double down the line by Caitlin Rooney brought the Vikings within 1. Unfortunately, a 3rd K in the inning left Rooney at 2nd. Yucaipa continued to put pressure on the Vikings defense and 2 errors with 2 outs cost the Vikings 2 more runs, both unearned. The score was 5-2. In the bottom of the 5th with 2 outs, Spigner continued to fight with her 3rd hit of the game, this time she drilled a solo shot over the fence in left field to bring the tally to 5-3. Yucaipa went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 6th, but the Vikings left the bases loaded after a single by Boser and 2 walks, and failed to score in the bottom half of the inning.
For some insurance, Yucaipa hit the first pitch of the 7th inning over the left center field fence but that would be all for the inning. With the score 6-3, Foglesong led off with a single, but Spigner’s hit to left field was caught. Boser clutched up and hit a 2-run dinger over the right center field fence to bring the Vikings within 1. Kemp then singled and ran all the way to 3rd off a deep single by Moore. The thought to send Kemp home was there but the throw may have beat her. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Rooney had 2 balls and drilled a shot to the 2nd baseman for out number 3. Although the Vikings came out flat and Spigner was clearly ailing from her ankle injury, the girls showed a lot of heart to fight until the last out. Valencia stranded 9 runners on base, often on 1 of their 10 strike outs. Spigner was able to strike out 6, but she gave up 3 earned runs and the girls made a couple of costly errors.
Game #5: Valencia Defeats Sonora 7-0
The game was scoreless until the top of the 4th inning. Jessica Spigner led off the inning with a single but on the fielder’s choice from Madison Shipman, she was out at 2nd. Lauren Boser then singled to left and Kemp walked to bring up the hot Caitlin Rooney. She induced a bases loaded walk for the games first RBI, to score Shipman. Boser was thrown out at home to give the Vikings 2 outs, but Garza delivered a big time 2 RBI single to bring the score to 3. Lani Bernardino jacked her first home run of the season, a high flyer over the right fielder, for a 3 RBI shot. Spigner led off the 5th inning with a triple but she would not score. Then in the 7th inning, with 2 outs, Shannon Fitzgerald was brought in to pinch hit for Lauren Boser. On the first offering, she got all ball and clobbered it deep over the left fielder’s head for her first home run of the season and the first of her varsity career.
Shannon Fitzgerald hits a homerun.
Spigner managed to finish the game from the mound, striking out only 5, but the Vikings settled down and played stellar defense, including a beautiful relay play in the bottom of the 7th to preserve the shut out. The lead-off batter for Sonora hit a ball to right center that Bernardino chased down and threw a bee-bee to Shipman, who then fired home for the tag out by Amy Moore. The Vikings finished up the tournament a little battered and bruised, with a record of 3-2. The girls played some great teams and learned more about what they need to do to finish and to fight until the last out.
The Vikings will next take on cross-town rival Hart for their 3rd league contest at Valencia High School on Tuesday, 4/15 at 3:15 pm.
Vikings Spring Training Camp
Spring break was spent on the field while the Lady Vikings gave a little back to the sport that has blessed them so much. On Tuesday and Wednesday Valhalla Field was flooded with talent both young and old while the Vikings held a spring training camp that seemed to be a blast for everyone.
Thanks to all the players and parents that helped out and to Donna and Carrie for organizing such a fun and memorable event.
Valencia Blanks Golden Valley
In their 2nd league contest, the Vikings defeated the Golden Valley Grizzlies by mercy rule 11-0. The offense was led by Megan Foglesong, who was 3 for 3 with a double and 2 runs scored, and Amy Moore, who was also 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs. Madison Shipman continued her hot hitting streak, going 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs and the freshman Bethany Kemp drove in 2 runs on 2 hits of her own, including a deep sacrifice fly. Lauren Boser (1 for 3) and Alyssa Garza also had an RBI for the Vikings. The offense cranked out 16 hits, to include singles by Lani Bernardino, Annie Dreher, Kendra Feldman, and Jessica Spigner, who was 2 for 4 with a double and 2 runs scored.
Bernardino led things off in the 1st with a single and was driven in on a single by Shipman to give the Vikings an early lead. Then in the top of the 3rd, the bats mightily erupted for 6 hits and 6 runs. Foglesong got things started with a single and was follow by a ground rule double by Spigner. Shipman then grounded out for an RBI and Boser hit in Kelly Deckers, who was courtesy running for Spigner. Following base hits by Moore and Dreher, Kemp drove a shot to right field for an RBI and cleared the bases when the ball was misplayed in right field. Alyssa Garza then grounded out, but scored Kemp who had landed on third base.
Foglesong sparked the offense once again in the 4th with a double deep to right center and then scored on Shipman’s second hit of the game. Boser proceeded to walk, to put two ducks on the pond for Moore who drilled a shot to right center to score Spigner, who had reached on an error, and Shipman. Kemp came up again with Boser in scoring position and hoisted a ball deep to right field for a sacrifice fly, bringing the inning tally to 4.
Although Feldman led off the 5th inning with a single followed by Foglesong’s 3rd hit of the day, they were unable to score when the bats were quieted after a Golden Valley pitching change. The final score was 11-0. Spigner pitched a complete game 2 hitter, striking out 8 in 5 innings, and walking no one.
On Thursday, 4/3, the Vikings will take on Cypress in their opening match at the Michelle Carew tournament at 5:15 at Peralta Park in Yorba Linda.