SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – 2022 has been a pretty great year thus far for girls’ sports at Dixon High School.

Back in February, the girl’s varsity basketball team (27-4, 10-0 Golden Empire League) won a league title, the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Girls Basketball Championship and 20 consecutive games. The Rams’ season ended with a loss to the eventual state champions, Oakland Tech, in the second round of the CIF Division III State Girls Basketball Championships.

Three members of the varsity basketball team also play on the varsity softball team: Seniors Janie Ming and Brianna Humphries and junior Brynne Dominguez. Those three young ladies can now add another patch to their letterman jackets, because the Dixon softball team (22-1-1, 10-0 GEL) are the 2022 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Softball Playoffs Champions.

The Rams earned a first round bye as the No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament. Dixon’s first game on May 19 in the quarterfinals was against a familiar foe, the Casa Roble Rams (14-11, 6-4), who were the No. 8 seed. The Rams from Dixon and Casa Roble clashed twice in the regular season during Golden Empire League play. Dixon was victorious in both matchups, winning 10-0 in six innings on April 7 in Dixon and 6-1 on May 10 in Orangevale, spoiling Casa Roble’s senior night.

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Dixon may have dominated the two regular season meetings against Casa Roble, however, that was not the case in the playoffs. Casa Roble scored more runs in the top of the first inning than the Rams had in the previous two games combined, plating three. Dixon responded with one run in the bottom half of the inning and one in the second to cut the Casa Roble lead to one at 3-2.

Casa Roble scored one run in the fourth inning to increase its lead to two. Then in the bottom of the fifth, Dixon scored three runs to take its first lead of the game at 5-4, a lead that Casa Roble never got back. Casa Roble tied the game at five in the top of the sixth inning with one run. In a battle of the Rams, Dixon prevailed once again, this time on a walk off hit as Dixon scored one run in the bottom of the seventh to win a nailbiter, 6-5.

Two Dixon players, senior Madi West and sophomore Aemonn Rosenberger, had two runs batted in each. West recorded two RBI, two hits, two stolen bases, one run scored and one hit by pitch in four plate appearances. Rosenberger tallied two RBI, two hits (one double) and one run in four plate appearances. Dixon senior pitcher Lexi Coyle earned another win on the mound. Coyle pitched a complete game tossing seven innings and allowed seven hits, five runs (four earned) and three walks with nine strikeouts on 108 pitches.

In the semifinals on May 24, Dixon matched up with No. 4 seed Ripon (19-5, 11-1 Trans Valley). Each team scored one run in the first inning. The Rams took a brief lead with a run in the bottom of the third inning, but the Indians quickly responded with a run of their own in the top of the fourth to tie the game back up. Dixon essentially won the game in the bottom of the fifth inning by plating three runs. The Rams added one more run in the sixth and ultimately won 6-2.

West and sophomore pitcher Felesha LePenske both had perfect days at the plate. West recorded one hit, one walk and one HBP in three plate appearances. LePenske tallied three hits (two doubles), three runs, one RBI and one HBP in four appearances. Humphries led the team in RBI after hitting a three-run homer.

LePenske earned the victory on the bump by tossing a complete game, pitching seven innings and allowing six hits, two earned runs and two walks with nine Ks on 112 pitches. Sophomore pitcher Kharime Caratachea took the loss for Ripon. Caratachea pitched six innings and allowed nine hits, six runs (five earned), three walks and two HBP with four punchouts.

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For the first time this postseason, Dixon found itself in unfamiliar territory, playing away from its home field at a neutral site for the CIF SJS D4 Championship game. The Rams matched up against No. 2 seed Marysville (20-5, 10-0 Pioneer Valley) in the section title game played at Sacramento City College on Saturday, May 28.

The Indians got on the board early against the Rams, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Marysville scored one run thanks to an error from Dixon senior pitcher Lexi Coyle who was attempting to throw sophomore Mikayla Haggard out at first, leading to Conway scoring from third.

The Indians scored their next run of the inning on an RBI single to left field from Tyler to score Haggard. Duff then hit an RBI single to center field to score Tyler from second and increase the lead to 3-0. Dixon scored twice in the bottom half of the first, preventing Duff from having a shutdown inning on the mound.

The Rams scored their second run of the first on an RBI triple hit into the gap in right center field from sophomore Ashley Garcia to score Coyle from first and make the score 3-2. In the bottom of the second, Dixon all but put the game away with six runs to take a commanding lead at 8-3. Sophomore Felesha LePenske knocked in two of the runs in the inning on an RBI single hit into right field at the second baseman who was unable to field it, scoring sophomores, Aemonn Rosenberger and Camryn Elliot.

Senior Brianna Humphries then hit a double down the left field line past the third baseman to score sophomore Audrey Graham and LePenske. Marysville began to mount a comeback in the next half inning in the top of the third with one run on an RBI single to right field by Duff to score Tyler. In the bottom of the fourth, senior Madi West drove the ball to the wall in left field, to score Coyle for one of the Rams’ two runs in the inning, taking a 10-4 lead into the fifth. Marysville scored once in the fifth inning as Tyler stole home to trim its deficit to five.

In the top of the sixth, Conway, the University of Michigan commit, hit a two-run homer to left field to cut Dixon’s lead to three at 10-7. The Indians added another run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double from senior Josie Landis. However, Marysville grounded out with the bases loaded to end the game. Dixon prevails 10-8 to win its first section title in school history.

Coyle earned her 11th win of the year by pitching a complete game, tossing seven innings and allowing 12 hits, eight runs (five earned) and three walks with seven Ks on 126 pitches. Duff suffered the loss for Marysville as she pitched six innings and gave up 11 hits and 10 runs (four earned) on 77 pitches. This was the Indians first appearance in a section title game since they won it in 2000.

Just like she did on the hardwood, Humphries led her to team to the section title on the field. The senior shortstop went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. In addition to basketball and softball, Humphries helped lead the girl’s varsity water polo team to a section title in the fall as the team’s goalie, completing the section title three-peat for one school year. West and LePenske had two RBI each as well. Duff and Conway had two hits and two RBI each for the Indians.

Dixon will now play in the 2022 CIF Division IV NorCal Softball Championships beginning on Tuesday, May 31. The Rams are the No. 1 seed and will host the regional quarterfinals on Tuesday against No. 8 Woodland Christian (25-3, 6-0 Central Valley California). Dixon will also host the semifinals on Thursday if they win against the Cardinals on Tuesday. The Rams take on Woodland Christian at 4 P.M.