KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
RIO HONDO — With the calendar flipping to the month of May, Rio Hondo is still playing softball.
Playing softball into the month of May is something the Lady Bobcats have made a habit of, and with a new-look outfield Rio Hondo is getting the same results but with different names.
The strong sophomore class has taken the next step and is becoming a complete unit, much like Rio Hondo’s strong senior class from 2017.
While sophomores Abbie Torris, Kelsey Pizarro and Domo De Jesus have all established themselves in the program, the outfield that has been in turnover this offseason has begun to take shape and is quickly beginning to emerge this postseason.
Sophomores Emma Serna, Savanna Gonzalez, De Jesus and freshman Alexis Rhyner make up the outfield. All had a hand in their series win over Orange Grove last week.
De Jesus, who is just a sophomore, has plenty of playoff experience and, in fact, she drove in the winning run during last year’s playoff game against Devine. De Jesus, who had been struggling at the plate, broke the game open with a two-run double Saturday in Game 3 against Orange Grove. De Jesus serves as the veteran outfielder and has made the transition from playing the middle infield to center field.
“I had never played center field before, and when I made the move the first thing coach told me was to communicate in the outfield,” De Jesus said. “Making the adjustment wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I had to cover more ground as a center fielder, that was probably the biggest struggle.”
Gonzalez and Rhyner have been a pleasant surprise this postseason. Against Orange Grove in Game 1, Rhyner had a pinch-hit leadoff single in the sixth inning that helped spark a rally. Three batters later, Gonzalez drove in the two go-ahead runs that helped Rio Hondo claim Game 1.
Rhyner, who spent the majority of the year on the junior varsity, got the callup late in the season and began playing as a pinch runner, and she is now getting reps in the outfield. Rhyner is taking in the playoff run as it comes, and despite the inexperience Rhyner displays a cool and calm approach.
“The speed of the game was a lot quicker from JV to varsity,” Rhyner said. “The pitching speed for sure, and just the course of the game was a lot faster. Here at the varsity level these pitchers are not going to walk you, for the most part. It finally hit me that I was on the varsity when I got that hit against Orange Grove in Game 1. Everyone was excited and being in that kind of atmosphere was really exciting.”
Gonzalez, who also is coming into her own, has provided the Lady ’Cats with speed and the ability to get on base at the top of the Rio Hondo order.
“Coach Esparza and I worked on some hitting drills and we worked on some things, and I’m seeing those drills pay off,” Gonzalez said. “I know what I was doing wrong and now I know how to fix it, and now that I have some playoff games under my belt I feel I’m ready to get things going.”
With the young crop of outfielders, Rio Hondo may just now have all the pieces in play to continue its postseason run. It’s the same song, different verse for the Lady ’Cats, something Rio Hondo coach Brett Esparza has seen during the past few seasons.
The most intriguing part is Gonzalez, Rhyner, De Jesus and Serna are all infielders by trade and have made the move to the outfield.
“I really feel that we have come a long way, and it sounds cliché but we really have,” Esparza said. “We knew the ability was always in these kids, it was just a matter of tapping into the athletic ability of these kids, and they are really shining at the right time. And we are peaking, and we are better last week than when we won the district, and we are moving in the right direction and playing solid defense and learning how to be a mentally tough team at the right time.”