Prep softball playoffs: Wildcats use pitching, defense to fend off Vikings

Will C. Wood High School senior pitcher Maddie Farnham knew Wednesday could be her final home start.

So she made the most of it.

Farnham threw a complete game, striking out four while allowing just four hits and one walk in a 4-1 victory over Oakmont in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV softball playoffs.

"Before the game, I was like, ‘Make memories, this is it. This might be the last time you're on this mound,'" Wood head coach Chris Ramirez said. "She battled, and she pitched like she's never pitched before."

Farnham, who closed out Wood's first playoff win since 2019, said it felt "so good" tossing the game-sealing strikeout.

"It felt amazing having my team behind me," Farnham said. "We all played our best."

The Wildcats will turn their attention to the quarterfinals, where they will travel to face fourth-seeded Rio Linda on Friday.

"We're ready to go wherever we have to," Ramirez said. "These girls are ready to play."

Wood's defense certainly looked the part on Wednesday.

The Wildcats' infield, anchored by shortstop Abigail Sova and third baseman Sophie Rivera, made a handful of plays. Jamaya Garrett flashed the leather in left field, making a running grab in the top of the fourth inning.

"My infield is really starting to pick it up, outfield is picking it up," Ramirez said. "We're in a tough league. Towards the end of the season, I said, ‘They're all playoff games from here on out.'"

Wood rode its pitching and defense to the bottom of the fourth, when Sophie Rivera and Garrett ignited the Wildcats' offense with back-to-back singles.

Keira Rawdon pinch ran for Sophie Rivera and scored on a sacrifice fly from Emily Rivera. Do-it-all freshman Sophia Criswell followed with a two-out RBI single to left, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.

"It was just about believing in each other," Farnham said. "Knowing that if one girl gets on, we were just going to keep going."

The Vikings looked poised to answer in the top of the fifth, putting two runners on with one out, but Farnham settled in, inducing a groundout and flyout to escape the jam.

"It was really just me pushing myself, believing in myself, and knowing that I have this," she said.

Emily Rivera delivered the knockout blow in the bottom of the sixth, smacking a two-run double to the left-field fence to extend Wood's lead to 4-0. She finished 1-for-2 with a team-high three RBI.

"On the second one, I was trying to keep my swing level," Emily Rivera said. "The third one, I finally kept my head down and drove it to the fence."

After surrendering a leadoff triple and an RBI groundout in the top of the seventh, Farnham regrouped and secured the win with a strikeout.

"Normally, we go Maddie three or four innings, then Sophia (Criswell) comes in to close. But today Maddie wanted the ball," Ramirez said. "We had Sophia in the bullpen ready, but we didn't need her. That's a good luxury to have."

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