The Cosumnes River College Hawks softball season was brought to a sudden halt due to the precautionary measures brought on by COVID-19. The circumstances surrounding this pandemic that have devastated the entire sports world ended the Hawks season following their March 10 match-up with American River College. The remainder of conference pay and the playoffs have been cancelled. The CCCAA did however grant spring sport student-athletes an additional season of eligibility.
Head Coach Kristy Schroeder feels for her team during this difficult time, saying, "It's frustrating for the players that we were making strides in the season and it was all of a sudden taken away. It's a helpless situation, and we just have to deal with it and move on."
Before the cancellation of the season, The Hawks were having a successful year despite a challenging schedule during the first half of the season. They held a 14-9 overall record and a 5-4 conference record which placed them third overall in the Big 8 Conference, and they were poised to end the year strongly.
On the offensive side, freshman Leandra Coronado (Elk Grove / Monterey Trail HS) was leading the team with a .468 batting average and a team high 26 runs scored. Coronado was an integral part of the Hawks offense, and she is eager to come back next season and pick up right where she left off. Coronado vocalized how devastating that was, "This season really exemplified the phrase that you have to play every game like it is your last." Coronado has remained active during quarantine, wanting to continue to improve her game, saying "It's so easy to slip up right now and not do anything softball-related, but it is so important for me to come back stronger for my final season at CRC." Other offensive standouts for the Hawks included Mckenzie Spriggs (Galt/Galt HS) and Danielle Pfenning (Lodi/Lodi HS). Spriggs scored 17 of her own runs for CRC while also tallying 23 RBIs and a team high nine doubles. Pfenning showed her incredible power this season for CRC by batting in 25 runners as well as leading her team with three home runs.
Not only did the Hawks hit the ball well, but they also took care of their duties on the defensive side of the field. As a team, CRC possessed an average fielding percentage of .949, proving their emphasis on making the smart play. Sydney Giovannoni (Stockton/Tokay) contributed largely to the team average, holding a fielding percentage of .964 while playing in all 23 games of the season. Defensively, the Hawks rallied behind the arms of Becky Pederson (Ukiah/Ukiah HS) and Audrey Brookins (Galt/Liberty Ranch HS). Pederson started 13 games for her team and held a 6-4 record. In 66.2 innings pitched, Pederson held an ERA of 3.25 and struck out 21 batters. Brookins made 17 appearances for CRC, mainly coming in as a reliever or to close out the game. In 51.1 total innings, Brookins held a record of 2-2, had one save, and a team high 29 strikeouts.
Pedersen said, "This year's team was one of the closest-knit teams I've been on. That made us so much more capable to play to our potential. We had an extremely strong team, I'm so bummed it got cut short. We didn't expect anything like this to happen."
A few members of this year's squad are poised to move on to four-year institutions. Alyssa Pinto (Lodi/Lodi HS) is headed to San Diego State to join the Aztecs. Pedersen is weighing multiple offers. Giovannoni and catcher Crystel Ruaro (Rodeo/John Swett HS) may also possibly extend their careers. It is unclear which sophomores will remain at CRC to reclaim their year of eligibility.
This season may have ended abruptly, but as Coach Schroeder said, it is important to accept that this situation is out of anyone's control and prepare for the things that they actually can control. Coach Schroeder is appreciative of the support that the CRC athletic department has provided, saying, "CRC has been doing an awesome job taking care of our student-athletes. We have a lot of players returning and were able to get some good recruits committed." For now, The Hawks want everyone to stay safe and healthy during this unfortunate time, and they would like to thank all of their fans for the support this season.