GALT, CA (MPG) - There are games that are about wins and losses, and then there are games that are about something more. For the Liberty Ranch Hawks softball program, last week's home finale against Bradshaw Christian was both. The Hawks rolled to a convincing 10-3 victory in six innings, and when the final out was recorded, the real celebration began.

With the win secured, the field was turned over to something even more meaningful: a Senior Day ceremony honoring six young women who have given everything to the Liberty Ranch softball program. Seniors Riley Sickels, Ava Van Warmerdam, Laura Quinn, Carlie Perez, Bella Granata and Xiana Juarez were celebrated in front of family, teammates and classmates after the final out, walking across their home field one last time to the cheers of everyone who came out to honor them. It was the perfect ending to a perfect afternoon.

 

Senior Laura Quinn pitches for the Hawks.

If there was a senior who made her mark most visibly on the stat sheet, it was Laura Quinn, who took the circle for the complete-game victory and was nothing short of brilliant. Quinn went the full seven innings, allowing just eight hits and three earned runs while striking out six Bradshaw Christian batters and walking only two. She threw 103 pitches and kept the Lions off balance throughout, holding them scoreless in four of the seven innings and shutting the door every time Bradshaw Christian threatened to make things interesting. It was the kind of performance a senior pitcher dreams of delivering on her final home appearance: controlled, confident and commanding from start to finish.

Liberty Ranch wasted no time setting the tone offensively. The Hawks erupted for three runs in the bottom of the first inning and added two more in the second, building a 5-1 lead before Bradshaw Christian could find any momentum. After a quiet middle stretch, the Hawks blew the game open with three more runs in the fourth inning and two additional tallies in the sixth, finishing with 10 runs on 11 hits.

The offensive standout of the game was junior Shelby Duarte, who went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs: an extraordinary performance that anchored the middle of the Hawk lineup all game long. Freshman Kaci Springmeyer was equally impressive, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Junior Khali Barrantes reached base three times in four plate appearances, scoring twice and driving in one. Freshman Gianna Farren added two hits and a stolen base, while junior Ava Clarida contributed three hits including a double from the Bradshaw Christian side.

 

Junior Khali Barrantes snags a pop fly.

Among the seniors, Bella Granata went 1-for-2 with a double, was hit by a pitch and scored a run, making the most of every at-bat. Carlie Perez reached base twice on walks, scored a run and drew the defensive assignment at first base where she recorded four clean putouts without an error. Xiana Juarez drew two walks and reached base both times she came to the plate. Riley Sickels and Ava Van Warmerdam were in the lineup as well, contributing to a day that was as much about their presence as their production.

The victory over Bradshaw Christian could not fully erase the sting of a difficult final stretch of league play. The Hawks dropped two games to Amador and fell to Argonaut 5-2 – a team they had previously handled 10-4 – in a late-season stumble that pushed Liberty Ranch to second place in the Sierra Valley Conference standings. Amador claimed the league title with an outstanding season, finishing with just two losses.

But second place in a competitive league is nothing to hang heads over, and the Liberty Ranch program has plenty to be proud of. This team won games, competed at a high level all season and produced the kind of memories that stick, including a Senior Day afternoon that the six honorees and everyone in attendance will not soon forget.

 

Senior Ava Van Warmerdam picks up a hit to left field.

Senior Day in high school sports is one of those traditions that reminds everyone why the games matter beyond the scoreboard. For Riley Sickels, Ava Van Warmerdam, Laura Quinn, Carlie Perez, Bella Granata and Xiana Juarez, the walk across that field represented four years of early mornings, long practices, tough losses, big wins and the bonds that form when a group of young women compete together for something bigger than themselves.

They sent themselves off the right way, with a complete-game gem from Quinn, a double-digit run output from a lineup firing on all cylinders, and a home crowd that made sure they knew exactly how much they meant to the Liberty Ranch softball community.

The Hawks still have postseason baseball to look forward to, but for six seniors, the home chapter of their Liberty Ranch story ended on a warm afternoon with a win, flowers, family and a lot of love from the only team they ever called home.