Cal High has won eight consecutive games, and 20 out of 21, in softball. That success has Condors longtime coach Jim Kruse thinking his team could make a lengthy post-season run.
“Yes, definitely,” Kruse said Monday. “This is one of the best teams I’ve ever had.”
Cal High (24-4) is co-champion of the Del Rio League, but earned the league’s No. 1 seed because it owned the tiebreaker advantage over La Serna. On Monday, the Condors learned they will play host to Paramount – the second-place team from the San Gabriel Valley League – in a Division 3 first-round game Thursday.
The Condors defeated the Pirates 6-0 in a tournament game on Feb. 23, but Kruse doesn’t put much stock in that.
“The teams have changed,” he said. “I like to think we’ve improved, but I’m sure they have, too.”
Cal High will be without one of its top players in senior Chloe Michery, who sustained a torn ACL in a May 2 game against Santa Fe. She was batting .362. But the Condors have several other frontline players, such as Trisha Trujillo (30 RBIs), Lorren Sharp (.390, 23 RBIs) and Rayleen Pallan (.384).
A total of 10 area teams made the playoffs, and all games begin at 3:15 p.m. unless another time is agreed upon.
La Serna (18-7) will play host to either Lancaster or West Torrance on Thursday in the first round in Division 3. Longtime Lancers coach Ginger Larsin, who last week won her 500th game at La Serna, says the keys to success are easily identified.
“We have to have all three things together – our pitching, our hitting and our defense,” she said. “We have a good team when we play to the best of our ability.”
In Division 3 wild-card games today: Santa Fe (11-10) will be home to Downey (19-10), El Rancho (11-11) will travel to Santa Maria Pioneer Valley (17-8-1) and St. Paul (14-12) will host Fontana (13-10). In a first-round game Thursday, La Habra (20-8) will host either Arcadia or San Gorgonio.
La Mirada (18-11) will play a wild-card home game against Ayala (16-7) today in Division 2. Whittier Christian (12-14) will take on visiting La Quinta Westminster (11-11) in a Division 4 wild-card game.
In Division 5, Montebello (14-11) will be at Paraclete on Thursday in the first round, and Schurr (14-13) will host either Laguna Beach or Woodcrest Christian. Schurr and Montebello are co-champions of the Almont League.