The Bulldogs and the Cougars each looked good in their warm ups prior to their match-up April 22. However, they were caught fighting the unexpected winds, forcing the players to make the adjustments. The game was hard fought, considering it was the Bulldogs’ cross-town rivals. 

Ventura was up to bat first and started out very hot with a lead off double by player number nine. The very next at bat, number two, roped another double and scored the runner from second base to home plate. When the bases were all loaded up, number one hit a line drive single to drive two runners in. Soon to follow was a triple by number fifteen to clear up all the bases. The Cougars were not going to go down easy as they put up seven runs on the board in the first inning. 

Buena in the bottom of the first inning started off with a single by sophomore Madison Shay to try and get a rally going. Right after that, sophomore Danica Dykstra hit the ball over the left field fence for a home-run. The Bulldogs struggled to advance  after that, entering the top of the second 2-7.

In the second inning of the game, the Cougars had back to back hits including a single and a triple. Then, a sacrifice fly out to score one more. They only had two more runs on the board before the Bulldogs were up. 

 The Bulldogs came out ready to continue in the second inning. They started with a double by Shay again, followed up by Dykstra who hit yet another home run over the left field fence to make it a two run home run.

 “After that second home run from Danica, I think we all felt a little more confident in our victory,” Coach Lauren Bedard said.“I think that contributed to the great energy all of the players maintained throughout the game.” 

With their confidence boosted, the team went on to get four hits in a row to put on five runs total that inning, ending the inning 7-9 Cougars.

In the third inning, the Cougars offense could not get any hits on the Bulldogs’ great defense and they were held to zero runs. The Bulldogs started off the third with a home-run by senior Marisa Fernandez, then after that, senior Hannah Miller roped a two-run home run to give the Bulldogs a lead by one at the end of the third.

The fourth inning came and the Cougars went three hits in a row to score only one run. The Bulldogs also only scored one home run in the fourth with two doubles, ending the inning 11-10 Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs carried over the momentum from the fourth inning to the fifth by holding Ventura to zero runs that inning. Buena kept their bats hot by hitting a double and following it up with an RBI single to give themselves an insurance run making it 12-10 their lead.

The sixth inning started with Ventura trying to make a comeback by hitting a single, RBI double, then another single. But the Bulldogs defense got the crucial outs to keep the lead. The Cougar’s defense did what they needed too, making the comeback still in reach by getting all three outs without letting the Bulldogs score, keeping it a one run game, 12-11 Bulldogs leading. 

In the seventh inning the Bulldogs pushed on defense by not letting Ventura score, making Buena victorious.