The Cosumnes River College (CRC) Hawks have had a strong start in conference play this season, and they are looking to continue their hot streak heading into this week. The Hawks are currently 4-1 in conference games and 13-6 overall. On Tuesday, March 3rd at 3:00 pm, the Hawks will host the Sierra College Wolverines in a battle of the top two teams on the Big 8 conference. Later in the week, CRC will travel to Diablo Valley College to take on the Vikings in a double header on Saturday, March 7th at 12:00 and 2:00 pm.
Coach Kristy Schroeder has confidence in her team heading into the Hawks' three games this week, but she is believes no to team can be taken for granted in the balanced Big 8 conference. "This season has proven that we cannot take any team lightly. We need to go out and play every game the best that we can because as we've seen, anything can happen."
The CRC Hawks, coming off of two wins last week, have been hitting the ball well, producing 132 runs as a team in just 19 games. Freshman infielder Leandra Coronado (Elk Grove, CA/ Monterey Trail HS), has been a key hitter for the Hawks this season, and she looks to continue her impact this upcoming week. Coronado currently holds a .433 batting average, has knocked in 11 runs, and leads the team in runs scored with 21. Freshman Danielle Pfennig (Lodi, CA/ Lodi HS) leads the team with 22 RBIs, followed closely by Mckinzie Spriggs (Galt, CA/ Galt HS) at 19. Pfennig and Spriggs have also hit two home runs each for the Hawks. On the defensive side, sophomore Becky Pedersen (Ukiah, CA. / Ukiah HS), has been the leading pitcher for the Hawks. In 55 innings pitched, Pedersen has maintained a 3.27 ERA and has struck out 15 opposing batters.
Sierra College
The Hawks open their week with a home matchup against Sierra College, who The Wolverines are 3-0 in conference and 13-3-1 overall this season. The Wolverines are on a six-game win streak. The Wolverines have been led, on the offensive side, by Bryanne Daniels, who has a .526 batting average and a .737 slugging percentage. Other standouts for Sierra College include Dallas Atchley with 23 RBIs and Kaylee Winn who has scored 22 runs. The Wolverines' defense has been led by freshman Alyssa Aguado on the mound. Aguado has made eight pitching appearances and holds a 2.47 ERA with 30 strikeouts under her belt.
Diablo Valley College
On Saturday, CRC will travel to Diablo Valley College to face the Vikings in a doubleheader. The Vikings hold a record of 7-10-1 and are 0-3 in the Big 8 conference. The Vikings have yet to win a conference game despite the efforts on the offensive end from Maddie Effle and Hailey O'Rourke. Effle is leading her team with 12 runs scored and a .412 batting average. She has also contributed 10 stolen bases. O'Rourke has brought in 19 runs to the plate this season as well as scoring 13 of her own and posting a .397 batting average. DVC has been relying on Bridie Stewart on the mound, as she has pitched 46 innings over the course of the season. Stewart has struck out 15 opposing batters and has an ERA of 3.63.