Fountain Valley softball starts well in Woodbridge Tournament

No one expected Fountain Valley High’s softball team to be the one to hand top-ranked Los Alamitos its first loss of the season.

The teams met on Thursday in their Sunset League opener, and the Griffins doubled up the Barons.

On the surface, the result occurred exactly as it should have. The Barons, however, came away encouraged. Fountain Valley scored six runs against an elite opponent, signaling to the team that they had fighting spirit.

“I think that it showed them that they can play with anybody,” Barons coach Rick Aldrich said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are, they still make mistakes. As long as you keep battling, you can overcome a lot of that.”

In their very next contest, the Barons’ new sense of confidence shined through.

Fountain Valley scored six runs in the first inning, and the Barons came away with a 9-1 victory over El Modena in their opening game of the Woodbridge Tournament at Bill Barber Park’s Deanna Manning Stadium.

Emmi Robert carried a shutout into the fifth inning, allowing one earned run on four hits.

“We were all in a really good mood going out, and it was a really fun game,” Robert, an Edison transfer, said after her outing. “I think our spirits were high, and I was just really into it this game.”

The Barons (6-9) sent 12 to the plate in the first inning. Delaney Sheppard had a two-run single, bringing in Samantha Araiza and Cassandra Garcia to open the scoring.

Fountain Valley found other ways to score, too. Kendall Kallesen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Lauren Wilson followed with a walk to force in a run.

“That was a huge inning for us, that first inning,” Aldrich said. “We haven’t been hitting like that all year, so to come around and hit like that was big.

“I think that it will help them relax a bit, and hopefully we can go out and have a strong showing against Mater Dei [next game].”

Eight of the nine hitters in the Barons’ lineup reached base safely.

Araiza and Garcia had two hits apiece. Sheppard was the leading run producer, driving in three runs.

As much as he enjoyed watching Sheppard’s offensive production, Aldrich said he is most impressed with how she has handled the catching duties. Recent graduate Madeline Domingo, who signed with the University of the Pacific, was the heart and soul of last year’s team.

“Delaney behind the plate is picking up right where Madeline left off,” Aldrich said, giving the senior credit for being aggressive throwing to the bases. “That’s one of the things I love the most about her is that she’s not scared to throw the ball, which we need. Keep them honest.”

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner