San Marin Softball Win Sets Up Duel With Analy Ace

The softball tournament showed up for its opening-round game in the North Coast Section Championships on Wednesday and something strange happened.

It turned into batting practice.

The Mustangs, who had scored a total of just four runs in their previous three Marin County Athletic League games, bombed Hercules for 19 runs on 19 hits en route to a 19-0 shellacking in Novato.

The win propels the fifth-seeded Mustangs into a much tougher challenge – a road game Saturday at 2 p.m. at Analy of Sebastopol and its star pitcher, Nicole Ochoa.

“Regardless of the pitching, you’ve still got to square the ball up,” San Marin coach said of Wednesday’s assault on Hercules. “That’s what’s encouraging. From a coaching standpoint, that’s what you want.”

As usual, and set the tone from the top of the San Marin order. Pacchetti had two doubles and two singles, while Albini had three hits.

If there was a negative in the game, it was that catcher , the No. 3 hitter in the San Marin order, jammed her thumb while catching Albini. She had to be removed from the game, and while she’s questionable for Saturday, Willis insists, “Injured or not, she’s probably the kid with the most heart on my team, so I think she’ll be ready to go.”

Willis knows how important Bruschera is in the heart of the order, especially when the Mustangs will be facing a pitcher that allowed a total of two runs on eight hits against Tam and Redwood in non-league games earlier this season.

“My top three are really hitting,” he said of Pacchetti, Albini and Bruschera.

“Bridget Pacchetti is one of the premier leadoff hitters in the league. She slaps, but she also hits the ball in the gap. She has three triples and two home runs this season. She’s everything you want in a leadoff hitter.

“Dani obviously is a great pitcher as well as a great hitter. And Bruschera hits rockets to the fence.”

Add in cleanup hitter , whose 4-for-4 outing Wednesday included a triple to the opposite field, and Willis notes, “We’re hitting the ball good and I expect those four to keep doing it.”

Willis calls Analy's Ochoa “one of the best in the region,” but recognizes the Mustangs have faced other top-shelf pitching talent in the MCAL.

“We played Tam and Redwood, so we’ve seen the best pitching,” he said. “It really sets us up well for this.

“And our pitching is just as good as anyone in the league, so we’ve got a good chance.”

Albini, who pitched a four-inning no-hitter against Hercules, will duel Ochoa.

“Dani is throwing as hard as ever,” Willis assured. “She’s locked and loaded. She’s ready to go.”