LAKE FOREST – Freshman Camryn Bradshaw delivered a single in the seventh inning Thursday that drove in the game-winning run for El Toro as it rallied for a 4-3 victory over Norwalk in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 5 softball playoffs at El Toro High.

The game winning single by Camryn Bradshaw as El Toro heads to the semifinals! @ETHSChargers @ocvarsityguy @ocvarsity @Los_Stuff https://t.co/7qokLraPB5

— Manny Alvarez (@MAlvarez02) May 13, 2022

El Toro (19-9) will be playing in the semifinals Saturday for the first time in 32 years, and they’re one win away from making their first finals appearance since 1990.

The Chargers will play Saturday at Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada.

“We play our best softball when we are loud, weird and loose,” El Toro coach Shannon Tinsley said. “It was one of those things where I had to remind them that they deserved to be here. They have taken care of business to get to here. Pressure is a privilege. Lean into it and enjoy it. There’s no reason to play scared. I think we finally relaxed and took care of things.”

Postgame interview with El Toro coach Shannon Tinsley as her Chargers come from behind and advance to the semifinals! @ocvarsity @ETHSChargers @ocvarsityguy pic.twitter.com/b9LMi7oyrm

— Manny Alvarez (@MAlvarez02) May 13, 2022

Norwalk took the lead 3-2 in the sixth inning on a passed ball that allowed Katrina Slaughter to score.

In the bottom of the seventh, El Toro’s Ella Brown reached first base on an error and stole second. She advanced to third base on an infield hit by MacKenzie Vondran.

Olivia Fullerton hit a ground ball that could have been turned into a game-ending double play by Norwalk, but Vondran beat the throw to second base and Brown came home to tie the score.

That set up the game-winning moment for Bradshaw. She hit a single to right field, and Vondran came around to score from second base for the winning run.

“I knew her tendencies,” Bradshaw said of Norwalk’s pitcher. “I faced her and my teammates said the outside (pitch) was coming. I knew she would pitch me outside and I was ready to hit it to right field and send the runner from second to score.”

Postgame interview with Camryn Bradshaw. The freshman with the walk-off RBI single that sends the Chargers to their first semifinal in 32 years!@ocvarsity @ETHSChargers @ocvarsityguy pic.twitter.com/BvkBYXl1HN

— Manny Alvarez (@MAlvarez02) May 13, 2022

Norwalk (20-8) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a single by Certvantes that brought in Leilani Juan, who reached base with a double.

Norwalk’s Kendall Nakano reached first base in the third inning thanks to an error by El Toro in right field. Nakano scored Norwalk’s second run on a suicide squeeze bunt by Jailynn Banda.

“Mistakes are going to happen,” El Toro pitcher Kylie Loertscher said of her team’s troubles fielding the ball early in the contest. “If we keep playing our game and chip away no matter what, then we are going to make things happen offensively. We just have to keep putting the pressure on them.”

Postgame interview with Kylie Loertscher of El Toro. 9 strikeouts for Loertscher as the Chargers are one win away from their first CIF Final since 1990!@ocvarsity @ETHSChargers @ocvarsityguy pic.twitter.com/Jv7pSNdqFI

— Manny Alvarez (@MAlvarez02) May 13, 2022

The Chargers tied the score in the fifth inning with an RBI double from Brown and a groundout by Fullerton that brought in a run.

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Cervantes went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Banda threw 6 2/3 innings and struck out eight.

Bradshaw went 2 for 4, including the game-winning RBI. Loertscher threw seven innings, struck out nine and gave up only four hits. Fullerton drove in two runs.