The sky's the limit for Sierra softball

ROCKLIN ? Speed kills. And for the Sierra College softball team, a combination of that and power at the plate could lead the Lady Wolverines to a Bay Valley Conference title and deep into the state playoffs.?We?re really excited we have some team speed. We stole 17 bases last weekend (at the College of Sequoias Tournament). We only stole 24 bases all of last year,? Fifth-year head coach Darci Brownell said during practice Wednesday. ?We can also hit. Offensively we?re not going to worry.?Sierra returns just three players from last year?s squad that went to the state playoffs as the No. 12 seed, finished with a record of 34-16 and was third in the BVC. Del Oro graduate Holly Cox, Lincoln graduate Betty Zamora and Golden Sierra graduate Amee Mason return from 2003, but they aren?t the only sophomores on the squad. Catcher/third baseman Kristi Yoshizawa transferred from Sacramento State and Tami Trujillo, from Del Oro, transferred after being in the Navy and attending Cal Baptist. Sarah Fear returns after missing last year due to injury and Valerie Swanson came to Sierra after attending Middle Tennessee State. The Lady Wolverines got another Del Oro alum when McKenzie Johnson transferred from the University of Colorado. ?We?re almost an even split with new people and people who came back,? Brownell said. Sierra found out about its speed during its first round of live action last weekend in Visalia when the Lady Wolverines went 3-2 with wins over West Hill, Pasadena City and Bakersfield. Colfax graduate Kari Bast, sisters Holly Cox and Gwen Cox and Trujillo each stole two bases with Yoshizawa getting four. ?I think for us this year speed will get us on base more, and with stealing more bases that gives us a better chance to score runs,? Holly Cox said. Besides the speed on the bases, it will be the threat at the plate of either being able to hit it deep or lay down a bunt. As a team, Sierra is batting .291 with 21 runs scored and Trujillo leads the club with a .500 average followed by Jenee Harris at .400. Mason is hitting .357 while Amanda Leal is at .333. Brownell is looking for strong production at the plate from Trujillo, Fear, Gwen Cox, Yoshizawa, Mason and Zamora, but she?s also seen the bottom part of her order establish itself, making the Lady Wolverine?s tough throughout the lineup. Coach will need that lineup to be solid all season long along with her pitching because of the somewhat brutal schedule the Lady Wolverines will face once they get to BVC play. Because of state budget cuts, Sierra has had its schedule of games cut by 10, thus forcing all BVC contests to be doubleheaders. In the pitching department Sierra has four hurlers that will all see time, with no one being the ace this early in the year. Bear River graduate Ashley Pruss (1-0, 1.00 earned run average), the first Bruin Brownell?s had at Sierra, Swanson (1-1, 1.40 ERA), Leal (1-1, 0.40 ERA) and Mason will all contribute on the mound for the Lady Wolverines. Mason, who is a left-handed pitcher along with Swanson, will be used sparingly because she?s an outstanding first baseman. But when she?s been needed, Brownell has not hesitated to call her number. Mason pitched in the playoffs last season. Pruss does a good job of keeping batters off balance, but the freshman admits it?s still a little daunting at the collegiate level. ?I?m doing a lot better. I wasn?t really sure I could play at this level, but I?ve been working on a lot of things? Pruss said. With strong pitching, speed and offensive power, the only blemish seems to be the team?s defense. The squad committed 12 errors during the first weekend of competition. But the Lady Wolverines are quick to point out it will be fixed, they just need more experience ?I think that its just because we haven?t played a lot of games,? Mason said. ?We can?t simulate some things in practice, we just need real games. This (past) weekend we just weren?t used to it yet.?Defensively for the Lady Wolverines it will be Mason at first, Zamora at second, Bast and Trujillo sharing time at shortstop and Yoshizawa and Gwen Cox at third. In the outfield it?ll be Holly Reed in left, Fear in center and Holly Cox in right.Despite some early growing pains on the defensive side of the ball, Sierra won?t be laboring that point for long, and besides, it?s only February.?The key is not to play the best you can in March,? Brownell said. ?It?s to play the best you can in April.?Sierra Softball RosterNo. Name Pos. Year School 1 Jenee Harris OF Frosh Rio Linda 2 Amee Mason P/1st Soph Golden Sierra3 Melissa Moore 1st/2nd Frosh Rio Linda 4 Kari Bast SS Frosh Colfax5 Holly Cox OF Soph Del Oro6 Valerie Swanson P/1st Soph Loretto, Sac.8 Amanda Leal P/1st Frosh Foothill, Sac.7 Ashley Pruss P Frosh Bear River10 Kristi Yoshizawa C/3rd Soph Cordova11 Holly Reed OF Frosh Rio Linda 12 Betty Zamora 2nd/OF Soph Lincoln13 Tami Trujillo C/SS Soph Del Oro15 Gwen Cox 3rd/OF Frosh Del Oro 21 Sarah Fear OF Soph San JuanRS Kari Gobac C/3rd Frosh Ponderosa