SOFTBALL: Panthers ousted in first round by North Torrance

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Playoff Brackets

Friday’s First Round
Division III
Los Altos 11, Arcadia 1
Division V
Temple City 5, Fillmore 0
Schurr 15, Flintridge Prep 4
North Torrance 5, Pasadena Poly 0
South Pasadena 5, Big Bear 2
Whittier Christian 6, Keppel 1
Division VI
Alverno 2, St. Monica 0
San Gabriel Mission 16, Lancaster Desert Christian 8

By Scott Galetti, Staff Writer
PASADENA – With the home-field advantage, Pasadena Poly’s softball team had to feel good about its chances Friday.
The home field, however, came with a catch as the Panthers hosted North Torrance, which finished No. 3 in the final CIF-Southern Section Division V rankings.
North Torrance made itself feel right at home as the Saxons jumped out to an early lead and rode the pitching combination of Danielle Castro and Hayley Rodriguez en route to a 5-0 victory over the Panthers in the first round of the Division V playoffs.
The Saxons (20-10) out-hit Pasadena Poly (13-10) 9-3, and the Panthers didn’t help their cause with four errors.
“It was a struggle the first couple of innings,” Pasadena Poly coach Jeff Taylor said. “We made a couple of fundamental mistakes out there that led to a couple of runs, and you just can’t do that against the third seed in the division.”
North Torrance scored a pair of runs in the first inning.
Leadoff batter Olivia Alvarez singled to center and scored on a three-base error by Panthers center fielder Laurel German for a 1-0 lead.
Castro then sent a towering fly ball past Panthers left fielder Michelle Tanner for a home run and 2-0 lead.
North Torrance scored in the second, third and fifth innings to make it 5-0.
The five-run cushion was more than enough for Castro and Rodriguez. Castro (5-4) worked four innings, allowed one hit and struck out five to earn the win.
Rodriguez pitched the final three innings, gave up three hits and struck out five.
“The two of them have been very steady all year and they’re a good one-two combination,” North Torrance coach Howard Miller said. “Sometimes one starts and the other relieves, or we flip flop it.”
Poly freshman pitcher Stephanie Tercero (10-5) worked all seven innings, allowed two earned runs, nine hits, three walks and struck out three.
“We just dug ourselves a hole and Stephanie came back and threw a good strong four or five innings after that, and we played pretty good defense,” Taylor said. “We just couldn’t get the bats going.”
Poly finished the year with a Prep League championship and an eye toward the future.
“We’re relatively young with a freshman pitcher and, all in all, I think we really came along during the course of the season,” Taylor said. “My job is not to start winning right off the bat, but to just kind of build on things as the season goes.”

Wednesday’s wild card
Division III
Arcadia 10, Hawthorne 6
Division V
Serrano 15, Rio Hondo Prep 2
Keppel 5, Duarte 4
Mayfield 7, Malibu 2
Ridgecrest Burroughs 3, La Caada 2
Division VI
St. Monica 3, Ramona Convent 1
Thursday’s First Round
Division V
San Jacinto 6, Mayfield 0
Division VI
Oxford Academy 10, Gabrielino 6

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