Montgomery falls to Pinole Valley 1-0 in NCS Division II championship

<p>NOVATO — For the Montgomery softball team, a special and almost magical season came to a halt Saturday in the North Coast Section Division II championship.</p><p>The Vikings, who have been clutch all year, always getting the key hit or the big out, came up short against a talented Pinole Valley team, losing 1-0 at San Marin High.</p><p>While it was not the script the Vikings would have written, the ending doesn’t detract from the season the Vikings, comprised mostly of sophomores and juniors, put together, winning 26 of 28 games.</p><p>“We had our goals set for the year, and one of them was getting here,” said Montgomery coach Mike Malvino. “When you fail in a game like this, it will make you better.”</p><p>Malvino and the Vikings have plenty to look forward to next year. They lose only two starters — Deven Kestler and Amanda Kurt — and return the nucleus of a team that won 24 consecutive games before losing to Rancho Cotate in the their final North Bay League contest. The Vikings also will have the services of pitcher Taylor Stroud, and that’s a big deal.</p><p>Stroud, as she has all year, held her opponent in check, giving the top-seeded Vikings every opportunity to defeat the No. 3 Spartans. She surrendered only five hits to arguably the best hitting team the Vikings saw this season. The Spartans, who were hitting .471 with 14 girls above .400, managed only four singles and a double. The winning run was unearned.</p><p>“We had a really good season. I’m proud of the team,” said Stroud, who fanned 10, including five consecutive at one point, and the side in the second and fourth innings.</p><p>Pinole Valley (24-3) put together the winning rally, aided by a pair of Montgomery errors, in the top of the seventh. Claire Scott was safe on an error, and made third on a single by Nicole Kuykendall, whose shot to left was momentarily bobbled, allowing Scott to slide safely into third. It appeared the throw from left field beat Scott, but it was ruled the ball was dropped.</p><p>Stroud fanned Veronica Kersten, the Spartans’ pitcher, but Shea Obiedo dropped down a perfect bunt to score Scott. Kersten made the run stand up, though the Vikings did mount a serious threat in the bottom of the seventh.</p><p>Sarah Ferguson led off with a double to left, advanced to third on a passed ball, and was primed to score when the Spartans’ defense made a key play. On a grounder back to the pitcher, Ferguson was trapped off third for the first out on a designed fake. Kersten looked to first, but wheeled and threw to third to nail Ferguson. Kersten then got Amanda Dalby on a come-backer and Kurt looking for the final out.</p><p>“We started off the season really well,” said Liz Albrecht. “Sure, I’m disappointed, but we are a good team. This loss will make us stronger — not cocky — but confident. We are a tight team ... we play well together.”</p><p>Montgomery wasted two scoring opportunities, leaving two runners on in the first and second innings. In both innings, Kersten amped up her fastball for strikeouts to end the threats. And, in the sixth, the Spartans’ defense thwarted potential rallies. Kestler was robbed of an extra-base hit on a running catch in right by Alexa Simons and Amanda Cucccaro’s smash up the middle was flagged down by Scott with a diving stop and throw out.</p><p>Kersten was nails when it counted. Heather Brady delivered a slap-hit over third, and Dalby had a single, but other than Ferguson’s wasted double, the Vikings could do little against the junior right-hander, who improved to 14-2.</p><p>“We knew we had a great team,” Kuykendall said. “After we beat Concord, we were ready for today.”</p><p>Moments after the game ended, Pinole Valley coach Tiffany Valdehueza was still breathless. </p><p>“I think I need to see a doctor and get some blood pressure medicine,” she said. “We didn’t know a lot about Montgomery, but we knew they were a good team with a great pitcher.”</p><p>It was Pinole Valley’s fifth consecutive trip to the section playoffs under Valdehueza, but it was the Alameda Contra Costa League champs’ first title since 1993. Montgomery was looking for its first section championship since it won back-to-back titles in 1978-79.</p><p>With seven starters returning, Malvino expects to be back in the hunt next year.</p><p>“We never quit, we made it exciting at the end,” Malvino said. “If you wanted to see the two best teams, that’s what you saw today. We will be back next year.”</p>