Kylie Cheney might be a sophomore, but don’t mistake her youth for lack of experience.

The Righetti pitcher has pitched in some big games.

“She throws strikes and competes,” her coach Brian Tomooka said.

Cheney pitched 13.1 innings last season against some of the best players the Mountain League can offer, giving up just five earned runs.

Fast forward to this season, and she has shown she’s ready to take her skill to the next level.

Cheney pitched her first complete game shutout, giving up just one hit to Sutter Union High School in the opening game of the Best of the West Spring Softball Tournament Wednesday afternoon at Righetti High School.

“All my pitches were working,” Cheney said afterwards. “My screwball, my curve, everything. It just made me feel more confident.”

Cheney has only pitched 9.2 innings this season and has recently struggled, giving up a total of 10 runs in her last three appearances.

But, after allowing a hard-hit line drive by Malaina Wider just past the shortstop to lead off the second inning, she was untouchable.

Cheney sat down the next 13 batters in order, striking out the Huskies’ leadoff batter, Kelena Delacerna, and not walking anyone.

“I have to be on my A-game every day,” Cheney said. “There’s so much good competition out here.”

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Sutter Union might be six hours away, but the two teams have developed a healthy rivalry over the last four seasons playing in the Best of the West Tournament. Each team has two wins over the other.

While Cheney was shutting down the Huskies in the circle, her offense helped her out in the third inning when Natalia Cervantes came in to score on a fielder’s choice.

It might have been just one run but that combined with some flashy defense was all the Warriors needed.

“Pitching and defense, they kind of go hand in hand,” Tomooka said.

Righetti’s defense showed up in the fourth inning, when left fielder Ember Hendricks made a diving catch in foul territory.

After Cervantes scored Sereniti Lopez on a sacrifice fly to double the lead in the fifth inning, the Warriors’ defense showed up once again.

Lopez saved the game when she reached over the center field fence to rob Paytyn Schamanski of a game-tying home run. The crowd came to its feet.

“You just always have to be ready,” she said with a smile. “I started running back but, luckily, the wind pulled it back a little bit. I would have run into the fence if I had to.”

Righetti will play three more games in the tournament. It played Bakersfield Centennial on Thursday night at the Hagerman Sports Complex, however results were not available at press time.

It will also play Oxnard on Friday at Hagerman, and then a still-to-be-determined opponent on Saturday.

While the Warriors are anxious to get back into Mountain League play next week, Tomooka said seeing teams from out of the area always makes for a good test.

“We just have to do our thing,” Tomooka said. “We need good pitching, good defense and some timely hitting. It’s the same as what we have been doing all year.”