Young Marysville squad still a powerhouse

For the past three seasons, Tressa Arostegui watched patiently from third base as 2012 A-D All-Area Player of the Year Ashten Welch pitched the Marysville High softball team to the top of the Golden Empire League.

A two-time all-league performer and A-D All-Area selection known for her prowess with the bat, glove and on the basepaths, Arostegui was a standout pitcher as a youngster before waiting in the wings behind Welch for her chance to take over as the Indians' ace.

Now, as the team's lone senior, she's making the most of her time in the circle.

After tossing a no-hitter in the Indians' GEL opener against Mesa Verde on Tuesday, Arostegui continued her hot start to the season at Abby Field on Thursday afternoon by allowing just one hit and striking out 10 over 51⁄3 innings in Marysville's 11-2 victory over West Campus.

The win was the 31st consecutive league victory for the Indians (4-0, 2-0), who have gone 29-1 in the GEL over the last two seasons while winning back-to-back league titles.

"It's a good group. We're scrappy, everyone works hard at practice and they're gelling together," said fourth-year Marysville coach Maurice Clavelle. "We have some younger players, but we've got that core group back and I knew they were going to be solid for us."

While several new faces fill this year's roster, that core group of Arostegui, along with juniors Taylor Ferrari, Brina Buttacavoli and Morgan Welch, have the Indians on pace to retain their spot atop the standings.

After Ferrari scored on a passed ball for a quick 2-0 lead, the Indians broke the game open with a five-run third.

Welch plated one run with a sacrifice fly to deep center, freshman Ashley Adamson came through with a two-run double and Arostegui helped her own cause with an RBI-single to right in the inning.

The 7-0 lead proved to be more than enough for Arostegui, whose only blemish on the day came when she allowed two unearned runs to score in the fourth.

"I worked hard in the offseason and put in a lot of effort to get ready for this year," said Arostegui, who improved to 4-0 and has yet to allow an earned run in 24 innings this season. "We're a young team, but we work hard. We play as a team, so everyone is valuable."

Buttacavoli put the finishing touches on the victory with a three-run homer high over the left-field fence in the sixth, and Welch struck out five and allowed one hit over the final 12⁄3 innings to close it out.

Sophomore Ajza Matta finished 2 for 3 with an RBI, Welch added a triple, Brandy Gilliam doubled and freshman Cassidy Clavelle walked twice and scored two runs for the Indians, who went on to collect a season-low eight hits on the day.

"Winning league is our goal, but we go on a game-to-game basis and we don't overlook anyone," said Buttacavoli, who was an All-Area pick as a sophomore last year. "Team chemistry is huge for us. Everybody participates and if someone is having a bad game, someone else will pick up the slack for them."