By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
ANTIOCH, Calif. - Freedom High’s softball program is one of the elite in California, if not the country.
It also has been one of the most curious.
The Falcons, from Oakley, which is about an hour’s drive east of San Francisco, won five straight North Coast Section 3A East Bay crowns starting in 2002 and in 2006 was a mythical national champion due largely to national Player of the Year, pitcher Amanda Williams.
But after each championship season, parents were more than just a little dissatisfied.
Some sought the firing of coach Michele Moore, an off-campus coach who twice faced the school board to fight for her job. Twice she prevailed.
But after Freedom had its NCS streak snapped in the quarterfinals last season, Moore had enough and resigned.
It would take time to rebuild, yes? Time to restructure, re-access and tiptoe through the rubble.
Instead, it’s been full cleats ahead.
Heading into last week, behind former assistant and freshman coach Jeff Jonas, the Falcons had won 14 straight were 20-1 and ranked 16th in the state, according to Cal-Hi Sports.
“We’re pretty resilient and pretty confident,” said star junior hurler Hannah Williams, the younger sister of Amanda Williams who has already committed to Fresno State. “We know how to win no matter what the circumstance.”
So, when Williams was off her game and the Falcons committed an uncharachteristic four errors in a stunning 7-4 loss last week to a 10-10 Clayton Valley (Concord) squad, the team didn’t panic.
Even with Tuesday’s Bay Valley Athletic League showdown game at Deer Valley (Antioch) on the horizon.
“I was pretty angry during the game against Clayton Valley,” Williams said. “I was frustrated. I didn’t pitch well and we didn’t play well.
“But we had to take a step back and look at what we did wrong. We realized that if we don’t play our best we can be beat.
“It might have been the best thing for us.”
It sure looked like it Tuesday as the Falcons rebounded with a beautifully-played 2-0 victory over their arch-rival Wolverines (18-5 overall, 14-2 BVAL), who were riding an eight-game win streak.
The victory assured Freedom of at least a tie for the BVAL title and assured it a spot in next week's NCS playoffs.
The game lasted just short of an hour and Williams fired a two-hitter with no walks and seven strikeouts. She also contributed a single and sacrifice fly against hard-luck loser Emily Allard, who allowed only one hit after the fourth inning.
The game was reminiscent of the last contest Deer Valley lost, a 1-0 decision to Williams and the Falcons in Oakley on April 10. That contest took just 55 minutes.
“These teams play good ball,” Deer Valley coach Amy Tillson said. “You know when Hannah and Emily are on the mound that runs and hits will be at a premium. I just wish we took a few more pitches today.”
Tough To Beat
Williams gave up a leadoff infield single to Allard, then retired 19 straight before New Mexico-bound Shenise Cox reached on another infield hit.
Rachael Martinez then popped up and Amanda Wallach grounded out to shortstop Kim Westlund to end it.
“If we play like today we’ll be tough to beat,” Williams said.
No argument there.
Williams didn’t walk a batter and her defense played error free. Every play was routine except for a superb running catch by left fielder Kirstie Strelo in the fourth inning off a hard liner by Martinez.
“Give them credit, they made all the plays and we just didn’t get the hits,” said Allard, a junior right-handed pitcher who has already committed to Northwestern. “Our defense played great. We made the plays too but if you don’t hit you’re not going to win.”
Williams gave herself and the Falcons all the runs they needed in the first when after singles from Korntee Wiley and Westlund and a passed ball, she lofted a sacrifice fly to right field.
Freedom made it 2-0 in the third when Westlund and Chrissy Stalf singled with one out and Westlund scored on a passed ball. From there Allard gave up just two hits and finished with a seven-hitter but just one strikeout.
She received tremendous defense from senior shortstop Jessica Pader, who made several tough plays look easy. Teammate Chelsea Brandt, a senior center fielder, got a great jump off a Melena Padilla liner headed to the right-center field in the third inning.
Brandt made a fine running catch that saved two runs. Right fielder Cox also threw a runner out at home plate after a single by Padilla in the sixth inning.
Padilla and Westlund had two hits each for the Falcons.
Let’s Meet Again
“We did everything we needed to do today but hit,” Allard said. “Hopefully we’ll get another shot at them.”
Allard, a 6-foot-1 junior specimen, and Williams are well acquainted.
They played together early in youth leagues and have since reunited on the Concord Sorcerers ASA team during the summer.
Allard, also a basketball standout, plays center field for the Sorcerers, a position she’ll play in college. She entered the game hitting a team-best .493 with 23 steals in 23 attempts. She stole two more bases on Tuesday.
On the mound she came in 15-4 with 138 strikeouts in 128 innings and a 0.65 ERA.
Through 21 games, Williams was 20-1 with 203 strikeouts and 18 walks in 131 innings and a 0.32 ERA. She is also the Falcons’ leading hitter at .425 with a team-best 20 RBIs.
“We have a very friendly rivalry,” Allard said. “We’ve been playing with and against each other since we were 6-years-old. I hope we get another shot at her this year.”
Williams doesn’t care who the Falcons face in next week’s NCS playoffs as long as the Falcons can return the championship trophy to Oakley.
She likes Jonas’ intensity and her team’s maturity.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” Williams said. “Everyone is older and more mature and we know what we’re capable of doing.”
The Falcons went 74 innings without giving up a run before last week’s debacle against Clayton Valley.
After that embarrassment, Williams believes Freedom won’t repeat that performance.
“Like today, we knew what we had to do and we did it,” she said.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com
