SAN DIEGO — On a typical sunny Saturday afternoon at the Reggie Smith Softball complex with friends, family, and teammates gathered to send them off, San Diego softball's (21-30, 7-11 WCC) seven seniors left everything they could on the field in their last game at home.
They won.
Kelsey Tadlock — one of those seniors — set the tone from the very first pitch, taking the ball and setting forth one of the finest performances of her season so far, holding Seattle U (19-32, 5-13 WCC) hitless through six innings, finishing her day with just one hit allowed and no earned runs. Taylor Johnson, another senior, put the Toreros on the board with a double to center in the first inning, and when Michelle Delgado followed by lining a two-run double to left center, the Toreros had all the breathing room that they would need. Carly Ruiz, also a senior, added an insurance run in the second, tripling to left field and scoring when Kaitlyn Wynia knocked an RBI single to make it 3-0.
From that point on it was Tadlock's game. The lefty fought through traffic in the third and fourth with the Redhawks reaching base in each, but she never let Seattle U get comfortable, retiring six of the final seven batters she faced as a Torero. When the Redhawks singled to lead off the seventh, Tadlock then made way for the other senior pitcher in the circle, Charlie Johnson, who struck out the final two batters she faced to secure the combined senior shutout and earn her fourth save of the season.
"I don't even know what to feel," Tadlock said after the game. "It's so surreal, but I am so proud of the way it ended for me and for Charlie. We're both seniors, and we both deserve to have our moment, and we did, so I don't think it could have gone any better."
For Tadlock, the most emotional moment came not on the mound, but walking off of it. "It really hit me when I was walking off that field and I got the standing ovation," she said. "I've never experienced anything like that, and it was definitely a moment to remember."
Senior catcher Natalie McCliman also reflected on what made this group special. "It's been crazy, we've been the big loud crazy class and I'm so happy that we all get to finish together," she said. "I just love them so much, and I'm so excited to see what they do next."
Head coach MJ Knighten credited a visit earlier in the weekend from the complex's namesake, Reggie Smith, as a turning point for the group. "It all started with the very first day of this series, and Reggie Smith came by and talked to this team and talked about purpose — playing for purpose, and not for yourself," Knighten said. "I've never felt that connection with them like that before. So I think this weekend was very special because of it."
For Knighten, these seven seniors leave behind something bigger than just wins and losses. "They're my first yeses to really build this program," she said. "They poured into this program — blood, sweat, and tears — and to see where we were when they came to this program, versus where it's at now with the Reggie Smith Softball Complex, it's awesome. They deserve everything that's coming their way."
The final score: 3-0. A senior day shutout, and a senior weekend sweep. But certainly, a sendoff that Kelsey Tadlock, Charlie Johnson, Shawnese Hogue-Lacy, Hailey Mulligan, Natalie McCliman, Carly Ruiz, and Taylor Johnson will never forget.
The Toreros will resume their pursuit of a West Coast Conference championship next Spring
