Atwater Synergy travel ball reunion for many CCC players in all-star softball game

Merced High School catcher Megan Kravec grew up playing travel ball with players such as Atwater’s Gracie Santistevan, Buhach Colony’s Jennifer Moreno and Golden Valley’s Shyan Crutcher on the Atwater Synergy.

Hayley Lawrence (Atwater), Katelynn Gietler (Merced), Maritza Iglesias (Atwater), Rheanne Lewis (Merced) and Shelbee Ward (Merced) also were on the team.

It will be a Synergy reunion for those players Wednesday when they play for the Central California Conference all-stars in the inaugural Paul Leonardo Memorial WAC vs. CCC All-Star Softball Game at Livingston High. The game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

Livingston coach Joe Leonardo organized the game in honor of his brother Paul, who helped him coach many years and loved the sport.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Kravec, who will play softball at Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont next year. “A lot of us are going off to college, so this will be one last game together.”

The game will feature all-CCC first- and second-team selections against all-WAC honorees in a nine-inning game.

“This is a good group with a lot of talent out there,” Santistevan said. “It’s going to be good to play together.”

For Santistevan, it’s one final softball game before she hangs up her spikes and heads to Long Beach State. The four-year starter hit .312 with two home runs and 20 RBIs this season.

“I think it’s going to be fun to get everybody on the field together again,” Santistevan said. “For me, it’s my last game, so I’m excited.”

The CCC all-stars are loaded on offense with MVP Crutcher (.607, eight homers, 33 runs) and heavy hitters such as Kravec (.347, seven homers, 34 RBIs), Lewis (.449, two homers, 34 runs) and Pitman’s Alexis Mettler (.448, two homers, 27 RBIs).

Pacheco ace Gia Rodoni leads the WAC team. The Baylor-bound Rodoni was named the league MVP after compiling a 13-6 record with an 0.58 ERA. She struck out 256 in 1211/3 innings.

El Capitan will have two representatives on the WAC squad: pitcher Cassie Gasper (15-9, 2.37 ERA) and utility player McKenzie Schumacher (.481, 36 runs, 37 stolen bases).

The WAC team also will be bolstered by the late addition of the Ceres quintet of Makenzie Veuve, Mahlena O’Neal, Ariel Knights, Rayohna Sagapolu and Nicole Bates. Ceres originally declined to participate in the event.

O’Neil hit .415 with seven home runs and 48 RBIs, and Bates hit .518 with 51 runs.

Atwater’s Robert Santistevan will coach the CCC, and Los Banos’ Dustin Caropreso will coach the WAC.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 7:56 PM with the headline "Atwater Synergy travel ball reunion for many CCC players in all-star softball game."