Rams Crowned CVC Champions
May 26, 2021

Rams Crowned CVC Champions!

After a doubleheader split with COS last Tuesday, the Rams were crowned CVC champions for the first time since 2016. The Rams entered Tuesday?s matchup with the Giants with a two-game lead in CVC play, only needing one win to solidify themselves as conference champions. They had their hands full with a talented COS team on Sophomore Day at FCC.

Game one was an old fashioned pitchers duel. COS pitcher Olivia Aguigam was on top of her game and limited the Rams to just four hits and one earned run while striking out 8 in 8 innings. The Giants pushed across the go-ahead run in the 8th inning and went on to win 3-2.

In the conference-clinching game two, the Rams offense came to life and starting pitcher Jazmine Castaneda was brilliant in the circle. Sophomore Mary Mets led the charge from the leadoff spot with a double and her fifth homerun of the season. Freshman Alayna Munoz also hit her fifth home run of the season and knocked in three runs. Castaneda hit two doubles to help the offense, but she was even more impressive in the circle. She was perfect through four innings on her way to firing a one-hit shutout. She struck out 6 and only faced one batter over the minimum.

"That COS doubleheader was good, clean, and fun softball,'' said head Coach Haley Janzer. "Aguigam has been their work horse all year and she has really tough spin. I'm proud that our hitters did not give up or abandon our approach that we worked on in preparation for her. Mary Mets and Alayna Munoz both had clutch at bats that helped us secure that important game. Jazmine Castadeda continued to get better through all 15 innings. Holding COS to only one hit in that second game is a huge testament to her and our defense."

Fresno City finished the COVID-shortened season with a single game at Merced last Thursday. Eleven different Rams collected at least one hit in route to a 10-0 win. Mary Mets capped off a spectacular season with five hits. Amber Aguilar, Sierra Cofield, and Fran Sanchez each finished with two hits as the Rams pounded out 18 total hits in the final game of the season. Sophomore Kyndyll Garrison picked up her second win of the season tossing four innings of shutout ball in relief.

The final three games of the season against Merced and Taft were cancelled. The Rams finished the season with an overall record of 14-7, including a 12-1 record in the Central Valley Conference. Fresno City won the Central Valley Conference for first time since 2016 when the Rams went a perfect 18-0 in conference play. With all the challenges that COVID brought about this season, a CVC Championship means that much more to the team.

"Just playing softball again meant the world to me, but to walk away as a CVC Champion is something I will cherish the rest of my life," said sophomore Mary Mets, who hit safely in 38 out of the 42 games in her Ram career. "Coming to softball practice to work hard for my teammates and coaches was an absolute pleasure and the highlight of every day. This team is something special and I'm blessed to have shared this experience with the girls I now call family."

"This season we really had to rely on each other," said Freshman ace Jazmine Castaneda. "It's been such a hard time for everybody and this team proved that when we go through something, we go through it together. It's really all about being thankful for what we have and the love we have for each other, and leaving it all on the field."

The Rams did leave it all on the field this year. They finished the year in the top 10 in the state in almost every offensive and pitching statistical category. Castaneda anchored the pitching staff with a 1.76 ERA and led the state in strikeouts with 109 strikeouts in 83.2 innings pitched. FCC hit .365 as a team and had had four players hit over .450 on the season including: Isabel Gomez (.519), Amber Aguilar (.482), Mary Mets (.455), and Jazmine Castaneda (.451). Freshman Alayna Munoz (.389) finished tied with Mary Mets for the team lead in homeruns with five, and led the team in RBI with 25.

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