Stone Ridge Christian High softball defeats Big Valley to win section championship

After finishing one win shy of winning a section championship last year, the Stone Ridge Christian High School softball team brought home the blue banner on Saturday.

The Knights defeated Big Valley Christian 10-0 to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento in a rematch of last year’s final.

“Definitely with their competitive spirit, they wanted to come back this year and get the win,” said SRC coach Cathy Cole, whose team finished the season 16-2.

The top-seeded Knights were on a mission during the postseason, outscoring their opponents 38-0 in their three playoff victories.

Junior Cali Cole pitched 14 scoreless innings in the playoffs, including six against the No. 2 Lions (13-8) on Saturday. Cole gave up five hits and struck out nine, bringing her total in the three playoff outings to 28 strikeouts.

“A lot of our girls were on the soccer section championship team and just wanted to do it in softball too,” Cathy Cole said. “They put in a lot of hard work with that goal in mind.”

The Knights received contributions from up and down the order. Breann Louters hit a two-run homer. Mackenzie Silva had two hits, including a double. Amy Villa hit two triples and collected two RBIs. Leah Mooneyham and Emma Quisenberry both added doubles while Cali Cole hit a triple.

The softball section championship was the second in school history for the Knights. Stone Ridge Christian won the title in 2019 and has appeared in five consecutive championship games.

“They worked hard all year and we all know softball can be about the way the ball falls,” Cathy Cole said. “Our girls just came out and hit the ball and played for each other. Being able to watch them celebrate the win is just what you ask for as a coach.”