CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 5
La Canada 3, Calvary Chapel (Santa Ana) 1: Lauren Cox (21-3) struck out 10 and allowed only three hits in the victory. The Spartans (23-4-1) totaled nine hits and were led offensively by Katy Lee, who was 2 for 3 with a run scored, Kelsey Strange (2 for 3) and Brenna Gay, who was 2 for 3 with a run scored. Catherine Horner was 1 for 2 with a double and a run scored and Selina Mohr went 1 for 3 with a RBI double and a run scored. Melanie Coyne allowed three runs on nine hits for Calvary Chapel, which committed four errors and fell to 20-6-1. Calvary Chapel’s lone run scored on Kattie Estes’ home run in the fourth inning.
Monrovia 4, Morro Bay 0: Adrian Guerra (17-5-1) pitched seven complete innings in the shutout. Monrovia (18-6-1) took a 2-0 lead when Kaylee Johnson and Shelly Paker reached base with walks and moved up a base. Freshmen Tanya Galvin singled in both runners. Sammy Salcedo also doubled in Nikki Guzman.
DIVISION 6
Jurupa Hills 9, Rio Hondo Prep 8: Maria Calderas (16-13) recorded the win for Jurupa Hills (16-13). Alexis Parker of Rio Hondo Prep (15-5) went 2 for 4, including a home run, and drove in three runs. Rio Hondo’s Madison Loomis went 2 for 4, including a double, and had two RBIs.
South El Monte 1, San Marino 0, 8 inn.
By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
SOUTH EL MONTE – The South El Monte High School softball team could not figure out how to score when it had runners on the corners in the sixth inning.
But with a runner on first base, the Eagles were able to knock off No. 3 seed San Marino, 1-0, in the eighth inning in a CIF-Southern Section Division 5 second-round game on Tuesday afternoon.
San Marino was without coach Nick Shepperele, who was fired after Friday’s 6-3 first-round win over Cabrillo.
Athletic director Andrew Gayl said it was because of “differences with the administration.”
Peter Paccone, who has coached the Titans’ junior varsity team for seven years, led the Titans. He has been assisting the varsity program for the last month.
South El Monte freshman Mia Luques scored from first base with two outs in the eighth on a Demi Nguyen grounder down the third-base line.
CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING
“This is a CIF game and I just wanted to score,” Luques said.
Nguyen, who was 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts, sent a hard grounder at third baseman Jackie Martinez. The senior got her glove on the ball.
“It was a close call,” she said. “I thought it was foul. It was just next to the chalk. It could have gone either way.”
The ball trickled closer and closer to the out-of-bounds line. By the time left fielder Lauren Maese got to the ball, Luques was past third base.
“I didn’t want to strike out,” Nguyen said. “I just went with the pitch. (Pitcher Michelle Floyd) had me guessing. It was just tough.”
Luques had reached first base on the second of consecutive fielder’s choices. Amber Acosta had led off the inning with a deep grounder to shortstop Alexis Watanabe. She made a big stop of the ball, but the throw was not on the mark.
Both teams had trouble with the other’s pitcher, for different reasons.
South El Monte coach Dean Bunting said Floyd, who struck out 10, was the fastest pitcher the Eagles had faced this season.
“We have not seen anybody like that ever,” he said. “We were lucky to get the key hit when we needed to.”
Paccone said that Nguyen, who struck out two, was one of the slowest pitchers the Titans have faced.
“I’ve seen it happen 101 times,” Paccone said. “You get used to a certain speed and you come up against someone a little slower. It’s too tempting (to swing) and sure enough, you dribble back to the pitcher or third base.”
San Marino nearly took the lead in the top of the eighth inning. Courtney Johnson drew the first Titans’ walk of the game and went to second base on Martinez grounder back to the mound.
Watanabe hit a sharp single to right field and third-base coach Angela Parker waved Johnson home. Right fielder Alejandra Cedeno’s bullet throw to catcher Jasmine Meza easily got Johnson by two feet at the plate.
“We knew what her arm was,” Paccone said. “Our third-base coach had the most experience knowing the speed of our players and the experience of knowing how quickly the ball gets in. It was a heck of a throw.”
Bunting said he had almost replaced the senior.
“That was huge,” Bunting said “I thought about replacing her with speed, but I said, `No, we need her arm out there.’ It came up big.”
Floyd, who gave up five hits, said the coaching distractions made it very hard the last four days.
“It was one of those things in life and how you get through it,” the junior said. “Everybody on our team has come out stronger, come out tougher.
“We really came together as a team and really built that team bond. We had a big support network that helped us get through everything.”
