Babbitt’s catch propels Hughson to fifth consecutive Division V section softball title

As the final out was recorded Saturday afternoon, Mackenzie Babbitt did a backward somersault and repeatedly banged her hand against the Arnaiz Softball Complex turf.

The Hughson High School senior had more than earned a little celebrating.

Her all-or-nothing diving catch and ensuing double play in the top of the fifth inning forever turned the tide in the Huskies’ fifth straight Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship. Hughson rode the momentum from the game-saving catch to a Savannah Ahumada two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning and didn’t look back in a 7-2 victory over Trans-Valley League rival Ripon.

“The play before the ball had jumped up and hit me in the chest,” Babbitt said. “I still hadn’t caught my breath, and the next ball is over my head. I’ve always been most comfortable going back on balls like that, so the longer it hung in the air, the more I thought I could get it.

“I figured they thought I wasn’t going to catch the ball, so as soon as I hit the ground I knew I needed to get it back in as fast as possible.”

After trailing the entire game, Ripon’s Mikaela Ferreira had just tied the score with a two-run single and given the Indians (23-8) runners on second and third with one down. It was part of a big afternoon for Ferreira, whose solo home run in an earlier game was the difference in a 3-1 victory over Hughson (22-1) to force a decisive title game.

Ripon looked poised to take the lead when Cara Brown blasted a ball toward the right-center gap. Diving toward the fence, Babbitt did her best Jim Edmonds impersonation and made a sensational catch at the warning track before quickly firing back to her cutoff man.

Neither Ripon runner tagged up and had to scramble back to their bags. The lost time proved costly as the Huskies’ relay cut down Alex Gonzales at the plate to end the rally.

Ahumada put Hughson up three batters later with a shot to center. Brittany Vankonynenburg put away the game with a two-out, two-run single in the sixth.

“It’s tough, because I’m yelling tag, tag, tag on the play, but their girl just made an outstanding play,” Ripon coach Robert Vernon said. “They’re a five-time section champ, and we pushed them as far as we could. I’m very proud of the girls.”

This story was originally published May 16, 2015 at 8:58 PM with the headline "Babbitt’s catch propels Hughson to fifth consecutive Division V section softball title."