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By Colin Leon Guerrero

Dolphins starting pitcher Alexis Santos pitched seven strikeouts in the win. (photo by Errol Alegre, Jr.)

“It takes ten players, the whole team to win.”

That is what Southern High girls softball coach Roman Aguero said as the defending champion Dolphins punished the Okkodo Bulldogs 23-2 Wednesday afternoon at Southern High School field. Some believed that Aguero would not be able to build on last season’s success after losing five key players. “I may have lost one really good player, but I gained two as well,” he said.

One of them is starting freshman pitcher Alexis Santos, who without a doubt was key to their victory as she was able to shutout Okkodo for three straight innings. She finished off the night with seven strikeouts. When asked if she was nervous about being the only freshman on the team she said, “No. We have a very good team and they are all really supportive.” As for her performance, “I am happy with how I did tonight, it feels good.”

That support and all around team effort shined brightly as the Dolphins launched an all out attack on the Bulldogs. Along with Santos’ pitching and stingy defense, the Dolphins ripped apart Okkodo’s defense capitalizing on a handful of errors made by the Bulldogs squad. By the second inning the score was already 12-0 after numerous runs were scored either by RBI, stolen bases, and unfortunate errors made by the defense. During several points of the game the bases were loaded for three consecutive plays where nearly eight Dolphins were able to come home due to pitching errors.

McDonald’s player of the game: Dolphins’ Alexis Santos. 7 strikeouts

“Come in and go big the first couple of innings, blank them out and switch things up at the end” is the game plan for every opposing team according to Aguero, and they executed that plan. Okkodo achieved their first hit on base in the bottom of the third and by that time Santos was substituted out of the game and the mercy rule was enforced cutting the game short to four-and-a-half innings instead of the regular seven.

The highlight of the game was when Dolphins’ Larayn Leon Guerrero hit a three RBI triple to left field that brought in Misty Santos, Sasha Dirige, and Tamisha Fejeran. Along with that, the Bulldogs made another error that allowed Leon Guerrero to advance to home base that added to a night of dominance by the defending champions.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Dolphins’ Brielle Meno gets a good hit on the ball. (photo by Errol Alegre, Jr.)

Dolphins’ Gerrica Esteban takes a swing at the ball. (photo by Errol Alegre, Jr.)

Bulldogs’ Desiree Pangelinan looks takes aim at the ball in the

Dolphins’ Kristin Duenas gets on first base off a good hit. (photo by Errol Alegre, Jr.)

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