It’s funny what can get a prep team back on track. Sometimes it’s a coach’s speech or a players-only meeting.

For the Davis High softball squad on Wednesday, it was finding a gap in the wind and pounding several big hits that way in an 11-5 Delta Valley Conference win at Monterey Trail.

Several of the Blue Devils’ extra-base hits — including Tarah Kalinen’s three-run homer in the fifth inning that put the game away — went into right-center field at the Mustangs’ home diamond.

Though the placement on those plays helped, it was DHS’ hitting power that keyed the offensive outburst.

“There must be a jet stream out that way,” Devil coach Art Guerra said with a laugh. “But the kids played aggressive. The fact that we had 15 hits tells you how hot we are hitting.”

Stephanie Cello paced the Davis attack with three hits and Kalinen had a two-run double to go with her dinger. Sydney Rosenblum, Kaitlyn Lagattuta and Catherine Slabaugh added two hits apiece.

The locals actually had to come from behind after Monterey Trail used four consecutive hits to go up 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning. The Blue Devils didn’t wait long to come back, however, as Slabaugh’s two-bagger and Cello’s two-run double keyed a three-run rally in the top of the second.

Then in the fourth inning, Rosenblum, Lagattuta and Cello singled to load the bases for Ashley Dufresne, who forced in a run when she worked a walk. Kalinen followed with a two-run double, Faith Harlan’s fielder’s choice plated another DHS tally and Olivia Schmidt knocked in the fifth run of the frame.

The Devils added three more in the fifth on Kalinen’s blast, which was more than enough scoring as relief pitcher Sarah Allen-Sutter held the Mustangs scoreless in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

MTHS scored twice in the bottom of the seventh but it was too little, too late.

“It was a good day. We got our feet back on the ground,” Guerra said. “We have River City on Friday, then a couple of huge games next week against Elk Grove and Franklin. It’s kind of like the whole league is coming down to one week.”

Davis hosts Elk Grove on Monday and Franklin on Wednesday. Both DVC matchups begin at 4:15 p.m.

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