“It was our worst inning of the season …” Davis High softball coach Art Guerra stated flatly.

On paper — despite five Vanden runners crossing the plate — it didn’t look like a complete disaster.

But an error, a throw to the wrong base and a couple of walks were things that the first-year Blue Devil coach thought his team had outgrown.

That “worst inning” would be all that the visiting Vikings managed, but it was enough for a 5-2 Devil loss on Friday at Community Park.

Vanden, behind junior Rochelle Roberts’ four-hitter, ran its record to 13-1. DHS settled in with an 11-4 mark and now must wait until April 17 (vs. Elk Grove) for its next game.

“(Our) kids don’t quit,” Guerra said. “(Vanden) is a great team. We’re not a great team — we’re a very good team — and I expected more of the kids, but we made critical mistakes.

“And we’re back to the situation where we were with our pitching — it’s up and down. We have three great pitchers, but I just don’t think they trust themselves.”

Guerra promised that confidence will come with experience.

After Adriana Zaldavar’s two-run double fueled the Viking uprising, Blue Devil relief hurler Micke Cox came on to pitch out of the inning — thanks, in part, to a brilliant diving catch by Davis center fielder Megan Winton for the final out.

With Cox cooling Vanden’s heels, DHS scratched back in the fourth.

Stephanie Cello opened with a single to right.

Haley Cameron lined the first of her two doubles to the fence in right, sending Cello to third. When Winton singled, Cello scored. A passed ball brought in Cameron.

With no outs, Roberts (7-1) regrouped.

She retired 10 straight Devils before Cameron smacked another ball to the fence — a one-out double to left-center in the sixth inning. Again Roberts recovered — fanning Winton and Cox to end the threat.

Cox went 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, one walk and one unearned run. She struck out one Viking.

With two on and two outs in the fifth, sophomore Kaitlyn Lagattuta replaced Cox in the circle and retired the last four batters in order.

Roberts was the only Viking with two hits (both singles and she added an RBI), but Vanden collected nine hits.

Notes: Starting pitcher Alex Barbaria (5-2) took the loss for DHS, but her earned run average remains under 2.30. … Cameron’s two hits raised her average to .478. Rita Allen-Sutter is hitting .419 and Winton is bopping along at a .375 clip. Cameron leads the club with 15 RBI. Winton and Cox each have 14. … Shortstop Melanie Habib, who was fighting a bad ankle sprain suffered in the win over Christian Brothers, is healthy again, but missed Friday’s contest. She is with her church group on a mission in Mexico.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047.

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DHS shortstop Kaitlyn Lagattuta looks a Vanden runner back to second base after catching a line drive during the Blue Devils’ 5-2 loss to the Vikings on Friday. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

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