Enochs remains perfect in CCAL with five-inning win over Modesto High
For the first three innings of Tuesday’s game against Modesto High, Enochs pitcher Natalie Camarena’s battle was equal parts mental and physical.
The junior pitcher was called for pitching violations by the home plate umpire, who determined she was striding outside the lines that extend from the sides of the pitching rubber toward home plate. But there was one problem.
“My contention was, there’s no lines out there,” said former Enochs head coach and current assistant Moises Martinez. “So he said it’s at his discretion.”
Camarena admits she was confused, “I’ve never been called on that before, I know there’s a line rule and I’ve always been inside the lines when I throw.”
The Cal Poly commit pushed through the rough start, striking out five batters and allowing three hits in four innings, combining with Kaylin McNeill for a 12-0 run-rule win, pushing their record in Central California Athletic League play to a perfect 8-0.
In her final inning of work, Camarena pitched a 1-2-3 inning, recording two strikeouts to continue her chase as the CCAL’s strikeouts leader. Her 91 punchouts rank second just behind Gregri’s Kailey Estes, who has 93 after Tuesday.
“I just had to … kind of to suck it up, let it happen, and adjust.” Camarena said.
Just as they have done all season, the Eagles backed up their pitcher with stellar offense.
Tuesday’s victory was their seventh win in which they scored 10 or more runs. Five of the seven have been against CCAL opponents.
In their 13 total games, Enochs (12-2, 8-0 CCAL) has scored 106 total runs, an average of just over eight runs a game.
“That takes so much pressure off me pitching,” Camarena said. “ It’s so nice knowing that if we do get down, we have the offense to pick us up.”
Four players recorded two or more hits, led by senior Jaydin Pinegar’s three-hit, three-RBI game. Team hits leader Alaina Calvo added three hits, while Alyssa Blanco and Camarena added two apiece.
The Eagles have 120 total hits on the season, good for second in the CCAL behind Pitman.
“We’ve done a good job hitting the ball,” Martinez said. “You hit the ball, you’re gonna win games.”
They are hoping the offensive production translates to the postseason.
Though the Eagles consistently have been one of the top teams in their league, they have not won a postseason game since 2014.
This year, they are hoping for postseason success.
“We lost in the first round, so we came back this year like, OK, we know we want to make it farther,” Camarena said. “We know we want to make a name for ourselves.”
Enochs has picked up wins against Inderkum and Lincoln-Stockton, which was the Division I section runner-up last season.
While postseason success is the ultimate goal, the Eagles are not looking past the rest of an ultracompetitive CCAL schedule.
They face third-place Pitman on Thursday and will have a double header next week with Gregori, which the Eagles beat earlier this season to take sole control of first place.
“We just have to keep coming out swinging every game and attacking.” Camarena said.
This story was originally published April 19, 2023 at 11:21 AM.
