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'This is redemption': Stagg softball beats SJAA rival Bear Creek

shannon mia belt, the stockton record
·4 min read

For four innings straight, Bear Creek and Stagg softball held each other scoreless putting the crowd on edge every time their team went up to bat.

That all changed once Stagg’s Jorge Hernandez came up to bat with two runners in scoring position at the top of the fifth inning.

He smacked the ball deep into left field, busting the game wide open with a two-RBI triple, giving the Delta Queens all the momentum they needed to take down their crosstown rivals 4-1.

“We kept telling them, 'Bear Creek is just another team, quit letting them get in your heads,'” said Lia Madrazo, Stagg softball’s head coach. “They’ve always been our rivals, so we always get amped up before we get here and we play jittery, but today we put on a show and it feels good to beat Bear Creek at home.”

Here are the key takeaways from the Delta Queens' dominating win over Bear Creek to put them in second place in the San Joaquin Athletic Association.

Stagg's Jorge Hernandez, right, slides safely at third on a triple as Bear Creek's Laura Mejia tries to make the tag during a varsity softball game at Bear Creek High in Stockton on May, 1, 2024.
Stagg's Jorge Hernandez, right, slides safely at third on a triple as Bear Creek's Laura Mejia tries to make the tag during a varsity softball game at Bear Creek High in Stockton on May, 1, 2024.

Garcia vs. Garcia

From the first inning you could tell this game would come down to defense.

Both teams were stingy on defense, not allowing the ball to get behind them. Along with fielding prowess, the two pitchers relentlessly tried to rack up as many Ks as possible.

Bear Creek’s pitcher senior Destiny Garcia picked up a strikeout almost every inning, ending the game with 13 Ks.

On the mound for Stagg was junior Aerie Garcia, who was just as stingy. She is currently the Delta Queens record holder for the most strikeouts in school history and added another 11 Ks to her over 200 strikeouts throughout her time at Stagg.

“Honestly I feel like this is one of the best performances I’ve ever had in a league game,” Aerie Garcia said. “Last game I didn’t really do so well but my pitching and my hitting was all there. My defense was there too as well.”

Stagg's Aerie Garcia delivers a pitch during a varsity softball game at Bear Creek High in Stockton on May, 1, 2024.
Stagg's Aerie Garcia delivers a pitch during a varsity softball game at Bear Creek High in Stockton on May, 1, 2024.

While Bear Creek’s Garcia picked up more strikeouts, Stagg’s Garcia let her defense get the job done for the most part. The Delta Queens only made one error all game and Garcia only allowed the Bruins one run. She currently has 95 strikeouts this season and will look to surpass 100 in Stagg’s last three games.

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Putting the Bruins away

Thanks to Hernandez’s triple in the fifth inning, Stagg had a 2-0 lead but it knew that wasn’t going to be enough to keep Bear Creek at bay. Last season around this time, Bear Creek pumpled the Delta Queens 14-4 pushing for a tie for the SJAA championship.

This go-round, Stagg wouldn’t let the Bruins have their way.

“This entire season, coming from last year and how all the league stuff played out, we really wanted to take this game,” Aerie Garcia said. “I feel like this is redemption for last year’s squad and I’m so proud of this team. I’m sure last year’s team is proud of us too.”

Stagg reeled in another two runs in the sixth inning giving them a four-run cushion heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Leading them was Garcia with two hits and a run as well as Hernandez who finished with two hits, two RBIs and a stolen base. Bear Creek would avoid a shutout thanks to Destiny Garcia who hit a deep double to bring junior Natalie Trujillo home.

Bear Creek 's Siannah Rios hits a bunt for a single during a varsity softball game against Stagg at Bear Creek High in Stockton on May, 1, 2024. CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD
Bear Creek 's Siannah Rios hits a bunt for a single during a varsity softball game against Stagg at Bear Creek High in Stockton on May, 1, 2024. CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD

“We have a young team and we’re a new coaching staff so there’s going to be growing pains,” said Darcy Altheide, Bear Creek softball’s head coach. “We make an error and then we don’t overcome that error so we’re trying to work on that as a unit. Ninety percent of what we do comes down to the mental aspect of the game and we’re trying to build that up.”

The Bruins will still have a shot at second place in the SJAA if they can win their remaining three games. Stagg is now on the hunt for first place and will have a shot at it on May 6 when they host first-place Linden for its senior night.

More: Record's Playoff Predictions: Which SJ County prep baseball teams are SJS playoff bound?

Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: 'This is redemption': Stagg softball beats SJAA rival Bear Creek