SUTTER, CA (MPG) - The Sutter Huskies’ softball team continued their dominance over the Sac-Joaquin competition as they finished off the Pioneer Valley League series sweep over the Wheatland Pirates in a 5-3 win on Friday, April 21.

The win last Friday extended their winning streak to four games after they had their lone loss in a tournament down in Santa Maria, California April 13-15 to Huntington Beach, who was ranked fourth in CA, according to the latest CalHi sports rankings on April 17.

Prior to the loss, Sutter had 38 consecutive victories dating back to last season with their only loss to Elk Grove, who plays in the competitive Division I Delta League.

Sutter head coach Stefanie Danna expressed to the Dispatch the game against Huntington Beach was a turning point in the season for her squad.

“They put pressure on us, we had to make plays all seven innings,” Danna said. She added that she was happy with playing close games in tournaments and throughout the year instead of having one for the first time during the playoffs.

The Huskies and Wheatland played an extra inning thriller on April 19, where Sutter had an explosion of eight runs in the eighth including junior outfielder Rylee Gillespie hit two of her three home runs on the afternoon.

The Huskies combined for 30 hits over the series against the Lady Pirates, including 11 last Friday. Danna exclaimed to the Dispatch that her roster from player 1-13 can carry them and has shown it throughout the season as they average 17 hits per contest throughout their first 19 games.

“We can rely on different parts of our lineup in different situations to come through,” Danna said.

Wheatland took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on April 21, when sophomore pitcher Chasidy Sills hit a run- batted-in (RBI) single to right field. Sills went two-for-two at the plate in the game and picked up the loss on the day as she pitched 2.2 innings and gave up five runs along with nine hits.

Sutter (18-1, 8-0 PVL) scored all five runs in the bottom of the third with two outs as they had five total hits in the inning. Gillespie hit a frozen rope down the left field line for a double to clear the bases loaded and advanced to third on an error fielding the ball.

“I had the intensity of knowing they were trying to throw me off because we all know each other, but I stuck to my pitch selection and drove in the runs,” Gillespie said. Gillespie went one-for-three and 3 RBI’s.

Huskies junior pitching ace Olivia Bauer was in the zone for Sutter as she expressed to the Dispatch postgame.

“I was a lot more confident in myself with my pitches and not second guessing myself,” Bauer told the Dispatch.

Bauer surrendered three runs off of 10 hits and posted nine strikeouts to an offense that averages 12 hits per game. She also went two-for-four from the plate as well.

The main word used around the program is “Grind,” and that is what is ahead of them as we approach the last couple of weeks in the regular season.

Prior to the PVL matchup against Wheatland, Sutter was ranked first in the April 16 Sac-Hi sports softball poll.

On top of the rigorous schedule the Huskies have with their softball season, they also gave back to the community the following day as they hosted a softball clinic for the local youth and coaches.

Sutter hosted kindergarteners through seventh graders as they were able to learn skills and share the field with the Huskies and coaches. Danna told the Dispatch it’s important to give back to the community because of the astronomical support they get from the area.

“Our community supports us a lot and it’s important our girls understand how they carry themselves,” Danna said.

She added the analogy of how game situations like a big hit or looking at a third strike are perceived by the younger generation and how their reactions can impact those thoughts.

On top of the illustrious championships Danna has won at Sutter in her eight seasons as head coach, she can add the first piece of hardware to the 2023 season as she was awarded the CIF Model Coach Award on Wednesday, April 19 in a media release by the California Interscholastic Federation.

Danna was the only recipient from the Sac-Joaquin Section and the release stated that the recipients of the MCA demonstrated and teach the six core ethical values, or “six pillars of character,” that include respect, responsibility, fairness, trustworthiness, caring and good citizenship.

“It feels good to receive the award, I just want to see softball grow in positivity,” Danna said. “It taught me so much as a player and I want to give it back to all the girls I coach.”