Up-and-down Woodcreek handles Vista del Lago

It's been a frustrating and inconsistent season for Woodcreek High School's softball team. One day the team looks like it can beat anybody and the next day they don't. The team's 6-4 record in the Capital Valley Conference and 12-10 record overall proves that point. "It's been an up-and-down season," Woodcreek coach Gary Ybarra said. "We have the talent to play with anybody in our conference but there's been days that I just can't explain. I really can't. We get 10-runned by somebody and then we play Pondo 2-1 and we give up one unearned run so we battled them and they're the only undefeated team in the league. I don't know what it is. "Some days our pitching is solid and we make some mental mistakes in the field and there's some days when we're crushing the ball. Then there are some days where we score an unearned run and that's the only run we score." Ybarra said his most consistent player has been his pitcher, Maddy MacNeil, because of her pitching and her hitting. Other players who have carried a hot bat recently have been Payton Green, Amanda Tindall and Chloe Preuss. Monday against Vista del Lago, Woodcreek played well from the start in a convincing 7-1 victory. MacNeil didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning and allowed only one run and two hits in the game. At the plate, Woodcreek scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back. In the top of the first, Vista pitcher Rebecca Landon recorded the first two outs before running into trouble. Woodcreek smacked four straight doubles off the bats of Camryn Kelley, Preuss, MacNeil and Green to take a 3-0 lead before Sophia Alvarez singled in the fourth run. Woodcreek tacked on two more runs off relief pitcher Alayna Piexoto in the second inning. Woodcreek drew two walks and got a single by Kelley to load the bases before MacNeil singled in her second run. Green then got her second RBI on a groundout. Vista scored a run in the fifth inning before the team got a hit. Tayler Dray walked and advanced to third on a Woodcreek error. Charlotte Clemons then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 6-1. Woodcreek tacked on a final run in the top of the sixth when Preuss walked, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a Vista error. The loss dropped Vista's record to 5-13 overall and 3-7 in the CVC.