23 Mar Antioch’s Deer Valley Softball Defeats Richmond High 18-0

The Deer Valley High (Antioch) Wolverines were all smiles on March 13 after getting their first road win in nearly two years.

Story and photos by Joe Porrello

As winds blew around 20 mph at Richmond High, the Deer Valley High Wolverines of Antioch blew past the Oilers 18-0 in a one-hit varsity softball shutout on March 13. It was their first road victory since May 2023 and snapped a 15-game skid.

Richmond High had lost all its games through this point by double digits and 14 straight since last season. It was the Oilers’ first game against an opponent outside the Tri-County-Rock League in 2025 and first against Deer Valley in over two decades. 

The Wolverines’ three losses coming in also came by double figures but so did their pair of victories.

In just five innings against Richmond, the Wolverines notched game highs in extra base hits (3), runs batted in (13) and hit by pitches (3).

 

“I’m happy for the girls. They’re showing a lot of commitment to the team and putting in the work at practice,” said Wolverines second year head coach Ulises Magana. “I think our preparation showed on the field and this [win] is going to propel us in an upward direction for the season.”

Six different Wolverines notched at least one hit and one RBI, while 11 scored at least one run, nine got walked and only one struck out.

Richmond High faced an eight-run deficit before they ever stepped up to bat. Sending 12 players to the plate during the first inning, Deer Valley scored a trio of runs on passed balls alone.

 

While the Wolverines scored in every frame thereafter as well, the Oilers leadoff bunt single was their only hit, continuing Deer Valley’s stretch of not allowing an extra-base hit.

Freshman Wolverines starting pitcher Katarina Rogel pitched a complete game on 68 pitches and has allowed just one base hit in nine innings pitched thus far this season.

 

“It’s pretty exciting, and it helps to have my team support me and back me up,” said Rogel. 

Sophomore Lysette Marcial said communication on the field and in the dugout was key to the Wolverines’ victory.

Marcial — who was leading the team with a .667 batting average, .867 slugging percentage and eight RBIs — ended with a pair of hits and runs, a stolen base, a walk and one RBI.

 

With speed and timely hitting, the Wolverines tacked on another five runs over the second and third innings, which saw them get three hits, four walks and four stolen bases. 

Deer Valley had five players steal bases — led by Braelyn Valdez with two. One of only two seniors on a team with 10 underclasswomen, Valdez paced her squad and the North Coast Section through March 13 with 17 stolen bases (No. 9 in California). She finished the game with a team-high three hits and runs apiece along with a pair of RBIs.

 

The Oilers got their best scoring chance in the third inning but struck out with the bases loaded after drawing three walks. 

Despite coming in with just three extra base hits all season, the Wolverines got their third double of the game in the fourth inning from senior Layla Garcia, who had a game-high four RBIs.

 

The Wolverines’ final four innings at bat all ended when a runner was called out for being off the base before the pitcher released the ball. However, Deer Valley committed no fielding errors for the first time this season and held its opponent scoreless after surrendering over 16 runs per game on average. 

“The game plan coming in was to limit mistakes because we don’t have trouble scoring,” said Magana, whose team holds a collective .346 batting average. “I think it’s a confidence booster. They’re starting to play more loose.”

 

Both teams came in being collectively outscored by roughly twice as much as their opponents, largely due to giving up 28 runs each in previous games. The 18 surrendered by Richmond High was a season low, having not allowed less than 20 before and losing by an average of about 15 runs.

Despite their struggles, the Oilers had managed at least seven runs in every game before this one.

 

With only one returning player from last year’s team, Oilers second year head coach Mike Lefebvre says the team is just trying to gel and hone their skills before worrying about outcomes.

“Most of these girls have never played or even had a [softball] glove on their hand,” he said.

Richmond High, which has no overall winning seasons and a combined 22-174 league record over 20 years, got off to its worst start since going 0-24 in 2017.

The Wolverines, on the other hand, are experiencing their best start since 2008 after 16 straight overall losing seasons and a collective 5-61 league record for seven years — and on the heels of their worst season in two decades at 0-20.