Medina’s no-hitter leads Hawks sweep

ECS staff report

SANTEE – On an afternoon of pitching brilliance, Amaryssa Medina fired a no-hitter, then teammate Gizel Mendez retorted with a 2-hitter, leading San Diego Christian women’s softball to a season-opening sweep of visiting Saint Katherine, 2-0 and 11-2, Wednesday (Feb. 3) at Sportsplex USA.

FEB. 9th UPDATE: Medina named GSAC Pitcher of the Week.

Medina, a community college transfer and one of a half-dozen players from Northern California’s Sierra College to move on to four-year schools, struck out nine Firebirds batters.

Medina needed to be “on” as the ballgame remained scoreless with USK freshman Catherine Dages (Poway HS) was also tossing a shutout on three hits. But that all changed in the bottom of the sixth inning when the Hawks parlayed five base hits into the game’s only runs.

The scoreless drought finally ended when sophomore shortstop Noemi Farfan capped a 3-for-3 performance by with an infield single, bringing home Hannah Springs, who started the rally with a lead walk.

Springs moved to second base on a bunt single from Erika Siva, then moved to third on a throwing error. Silva stole second base, setting the stage for the top of the Hawks line-up.

Farfan hit a sharp grounder which was knocked down by the infield, but with no play available at any base. Medina followed with a single to center field to score Silva.

In the 7th, a tiring Medina survived a pair of walks but mustered a pair of fly balls to seal her no-hitter.

The second game was called by run rule after the Hawks scored three times to walk-off the Firebirds.

Mendez finished with five strikeouts with just a single walk. She was backed by battery mate Keelee Davis. The catcher, an Eastlake High product who transferred to SDCC from Felician University posted three hits and a trio of RBI to lead the offense.

Davis singled in a run in the second, when the Hawks  blew the contest open with a 7-run rally. She added an RBI double in the fourth to make it 8-0, then started the game-ending outburst in the sixth with a solo homer.

For San Diego Christian (2-0), second baseman Lisette Mejias, left fielder Brianna Duncan and centerfielder Kayla Domingues each added two hits. The top five batters in the SDCC order combined to bat 10-for-18 with seven runs. After Davis, seven different Hawks drove in runs.

The twinbill was held on National Girls & Women in Sports Day (rather than on Tuesday’s Groundhog Day).

Next up, San Diego Christian hopes to add additional games to its schedule prior to the next meeting between the ballclubs in three weeks, Feb. 24, in an 11 a.m. doubleheader, also at Sportsplex USA.

NOTES: Last season, Medina was a perfect 5-0 with one save in the six contests played by the unbeaten Sierra College Wolverines in the Covid-19 shortened season