Vista Del Lago softball keeps its unbeaten streak rolling as seniors take a bow

If she hadn’t been pulled aside to talk after her game Thursday night, Lexi Holihan might have been out raking the infield or fixing up the pitching mound. The Vista Del Lago senior isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, even if it meant erasing her number 14, written in chalk behind the pitcher’s circle for senior day Thursday.

Instead of getting to work on the field, she settled in to talk about her five shutout innings and the home run she hit during a 13-5 win over visiting Christian Brothers. Holihan pitched the first two innings, played centerfield for an inning and then played catcher for the first time in her life.

“It’s pretty fun,” she said with a laugh. “I’m not gonna lie, I was a little scared of the foul balls. I give a lot of credit to the catchers, especially when there’s popups and I can’t see it through the mask.”

The Eagles’ other senior, left fielder Mara Peralta, was also honored Thursday with her number 10 chalked into the dirt and flowers before the game for senior day. Peralta and Holihan have helped rebuild a team that went 11-10-1 the year before Julie Lazar took over as head coach. In her three years with the program, Lazar has watched the duo lead Vista Del Lago back to regional prominence, with a 12-2 record and the No. 8 spot in The Bee’s rankings.

“(Holihan) was a sophomore when I started coaching and she was already a leader as a sophomore, both in how she performed on the field and her verbal leadership,” Lazar said. “She’s an outspoken girl and she has a big personality. The checks she writes with her mouth she definitely cashes with her play. ...

“(Peralta) has always been a really hard worker, she motivates her team. We’re lucky to have seniors that are so invested in the team even though they can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The seniors have led a young group that has been red hot since the Eagles’ last loss on April 7. Vista Del Lago beat fifth-ranked Roseville and dispatched solid Oakmont and Folsom teams in winning 10 straight games.

Junior Tayler Biehl has helped with that success. The speedster had a pair of triples Thursday against Christian Brothers and scored three times. She’s hitting .679 and leads the team with a whopping 29 runs scored; she’s been on base 41 times this spring as her speed makes her a terror on the basepaths and at the plate.

“I read the defense and depending on the pitcher, I know what she’s supposed to do,” she said. “If it’s slow, I can pull the ball down the line. Or pop it over the centerfielder’s head, or I can just slap it and hit it where they’re not. Kind of a triple threat.”

Threats is something the Vista Del Lago lineup isn’t lacking.

Sophomore Olivia Manchester is already among the best in the area, hitting .538. Chatty junior catcher Sammy Smith, who gave the umpire a hearty greeting Thursday afternoon and later cleaned home plate for him with his brush, is hitting .522 with a pair of home runs. Holihan has a 2.60 ERA while hitting .560 with six home runs to lead the offense.

For her success, Biehl is quick to point to her best friend and workout partner, Holihan. Standing next to her after the game, Biehl said the senior drives her to be better.

“She’s pretty amazing,” Biehl said. “She doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She keeps me straight. We work out together too, so she’s always there making sure I do the extra rep or that I push hard.”

As the team celebrated the seniors with Red Vines, pretzels and snacks after Thursday’s win, Holihan reflected on how far the team has come from its middling 11-10-1 record in her freshman year.

“It’s a very special moment for this whole team and it sets an expectation for the years to come,” she said. “It sets a tone for how big the expectations should be for yourself and the team as a whole.”

Now comes the tough part.

Vista Del Lago hasn’t played a tight game since a month ago. That will likely change Saturday, when the Eagles host second-ranked Sheldon. Next Friday, Vista Del Lago travels to third-ranked Elk Grove. All part of the plan, the coach said. The young Eagles are brimming with confidence; the seniors are ready for one last test. How far have they really come?

“Obviously, there’s no playoffs. We intentionally scheduled tougher games later in the season rather than in the preseason window, so we would have those games to look forward to and work toward,” Lazar said. Those are like our playoff games. … It gives that little extra carrot of motivation for us.”

This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 7:24 AM.