Centennial makes most of opportunity for Division I crown
| Saturday, May 24 2008 02:35 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 08:19 PM
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Golden Hawks catcher Vanessa Medina, left, is greeted in the dugout by pitcher Ensley Gammel after Medina gave Centennial a 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the fourth inning of the Division I championship game against Madera. Gammel is the Californian's All-Area softball player of the year.
Madera baserunner Samantha Gillis is almost picked off at first base in the third inning Friday as Centennial second baseman McKenzie Joseph sneaks in behind her.
Centennial catcher Vanessa Medina tags out Madera's Phylicia Zavala on this attempted double steal that went wrong for the Coyotes in Friday's Central Section Division I softball championship. After tagging Zavala, Medina then threw out Laura Salinas at third.
MADERA -- Ensley Gammel was so ready to celebrate a Central Section title, she actually forgot there was a chance she'd need her glove.
With strike three to the final Madera batter on the way, Gammel, Centennial's junior ace pitcher, slammed down her glove and pumped her first moments before she was swarmed by Golden Hawks ready to enjoy their 2-1 victory Friday on Leroy Zimmerman Field.
"Actually, I threw down the glove before (catcher Vanessa Medina) caught the ball, which is probably not smart," Gammel said. "But I knew right when I threw it that it was good."
The Division I championship game was high-level softball at its finest, with both Gammel and Madera starter Vanessa Salinas mowing through hitters and stranding baserunners.
The difference, and both teams agreed on it, was No. 2 seed Centennial's ability to cash in on one good opportunity while top-seeded Madera (31-4-1) ran itself out of a couple of promising ones.
"Some baserunning mistakes, and failure to get our short game down," Madera coach Judy Shaubach said. "There's a lot of things you could look back on."
Medina threw out Jody Badorine trying to steal second to end the first inning, and the Golden Hawks (28-5-1) executed a unique double play to get out of a jam in the second. Both quieted the Madera portion of a boisterous, overflow crowd.
With runners on first and third base and one out, Madera tried a delayed double steal. When Laura Salinas broke for second, Medina threw halfway down to second. Second baseman McKenzie Joseph cut the ball off and threw home for one out. When Salinas tried to take third, Medina threw for a second out, quickly quieting most of a boisterous, overflow crowd.
"We actually have been working on that since freshman year, and it has never happened," Gammel said. "So when we got in the dugout, we were like, 'We worked three years for that.'"
Medina also was the hitting hero. Vanessa Salinas set down the first nine Centennial batters in a row, but Joseph led off the fourth with a double over the center fielder's head.
"When McKenzie led off with that double, I was like, 'OK, we have got to score,'" Centennial coach Jayna Chapman said.
Gammel walked with two outs, and both runners moved up on a passed ball. It was easily the Golden Hawks' best threat of the day, and Medina cashed it in with a single that dropped into left off a change-up.
"I knew it was coming, and somehow my front shoulder still flew out," Medina said. "But it all worked out."
From there, Gammel and the CHS defense took over. Madera got a run back in the bottom of the fourth on Vanessa Salinas' RBI single and had at least one runner in each of the first six innings, but Gammel and her clutch defense never wavered.
Both Gammel -- 11 strikeouts with her deceptive, changing speeds -- and Salinas -- seven strikeouts and just three hits with a nasty rise ball -- dominated, but Centennial, which won its second championship, was the opportunistic one.
"I've never had a more enjoyable team that I wanted to share this with," said Chapman, whose team won 19 straight to end the season. "We've been talking about it from the beginning, and they all had the same goal."
And finally, when it came time for the seventh, Gammel had her easiest inning of the afternoon. A popout and a strikeout set up a called third strike and a big celebration.
"I don't even know what to say," Medina said. "It's the most amazing feeling. Nothing will beat this."
