Catalina softball

 You had to wonder, or at least be a little curious, what it was going to look like.
 Five returning starters surrounded by a cast of freshmen on the field.
 Not ideal in attempting to make it five straight Mission Trail Athletic League titles.
 Yet, here we are at the midpoint of the league season and the Cougars sit alone at the top, unbeaten in the MTAL.
 If I had to point to a turning point for a squad with just two seniors, it came after Santa Catalina was  pasted 15-4 by Monterey.
 As humbling of a defeat as it was, it forced Santa Catalina to refocus.
 However, goals were not altered. What has followed is five straight wins going into Tuesday's battle with visiting Stevenson.
 The Cougars took their lumps early in the preseason, dropping four of their first five. Two of those losses, however, came from a pair of CCS powers.
 When Lauren Garcia is hitting her spots, Santa Catalina doesn't need a lot of runs.
 After Tuesday's home game, the Cougars will play five of their final six on the road.