California's bats may be heating up at the right time.
On Monday night, the Pintos put up five runs in the first inning and had 11 total hits on their way to an 11-6 win over the Jamestown.
"This was probably the best we saw the ball all year," California head coach Darrell Bolin said. "The girls were patient when they needed to be and attacked when the ball was right. We made a lot of good, smart choices up there at the plate and it showed."
Leadoff hitter Jenna Berendzen paced the Pintos' offense with a 4-for-4 game. The freshman had two singles, two doubles and scored following all four of her at-bats.
"(Jenna) has really come along," Bolin said. "She's seeing the ball really well right now. It's good to get that leadoff batter on base, but even them just making contact helps set the tone for the rest of the team."
The other three of California's five doubles in the game all came off the bat of Braleigh Johnson, who was 3-for-4 with two RBI to go along with her trio of two-baggers.
"Braleigh has a lot of power," Bolin said. "Her bat is so quick and she is so strong that she has a lot of pop. Tonight was kind of what we've been looking for the whole year from her. She's had other games where she'd hit the ball solidly, but tonight she was staying on top of it and driving it."
While Johnson, Berendzen and the Pintos scratched out runs continually throughout the game, Jamestown did most of its damage in the middle innings through the top of the order.
Chiane Harlan and Alyssa Reynolds were the catalysts for the Eagles. Harlan used her speed to run out three infield singles en route to a pair of runs scored while Reynolds scored three times and finished 3-for-3 with three singles and a walk.
Cleanup hitter Cara Scheperle was the top run-producer for Jamestown. The junior was 2-for-4 with three RBI. The Eagles had a pair of extra bases hits via a double by Sierra Cooper and an RBI triple by Blake Scholl.
California pitcher Kaitlyn Turner had her strikeout pitch working against the Eagles, ringing up 11 on her way to a complete game victory.
"(Kaitlyn) had really good command of all of her pitches," Bolin said. "She was putting the ball right where it needed to be. Her breaking pitches were working. Everything was going really well and her fastball was getting in on them really quickly. Any time she's throwing like that, she's tough to handle."
Turner was throwing to a new target Monday as Paige Johnson took over duties behind the plate to become the third different catcher the Pintos have used this season.
"(Paige) was outstanding behind the plate tonight," Bolin said. "One ball hit the front of the plate and got by her, but other than that, everything got knocked down in front of the plate. Any time you do that, it's going to keep runners at bay."
The victory over Jamestown marked California's fourth of the season, bringing them one past last year's win total. With a young roster, it's a sure sign that the program is continuing to progress. With a week of games still yet to play before districts, the Pintos will have a chance to further pad that win total.
"It's still a work in progress," Bolin said. "I think we have some things to work on. A coach is never really satisfied, but we have some things we want to do. We still have steps to go, but we're going in the right direction.
Harris honored for Senior Night
Monday also marked Senior Night for California Softball as Abby Harris, the lone senior on the roster, was honored with a postgame ceremony that was celebrated by her family and teammates.
A three-year player for California, Harris has seen a lot of time at center field this season.
"(Abby) has progressed so much to where now she's the starting center fielder, which is tough to step into," Bolin said. "She's been able to mature through the years and really become a complete ball player."