SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO >> The Tesoro softball team scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning Thursday to beat crosstown foe San Juan Hills 8-3 in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs at San Juan Hills High.
With the score tied in the seventh, Kennedy Proctor hit a three-run single to put the Titans ahead 6-3. Kennedy Hobson followed with a run-scoring triple and later scored on a groundout.
Tesoro’s Kennedy Hobson pitches during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against San Juan Hills on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Ashley Corpuz slides safely into home during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Julia Doan nearly makes a leaping foul ball catch during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro first baseman Loula McNamera makes a catch in time to tag out San Juan Hill’s Julia Doan during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game between the two teams on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Cadence Gilliliand slides safely into second base, avoiding the tag from San Juan Hills second baseman Kaitlyn Perucci, on a stolen base during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game between the two teams on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Kennedy Proctor hits the ball during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game at San Juan Hills High School on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills first baseman Piper Henderson tags out Tesoro’s Cadence Gilliliand during Thursday’s CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game between the two teams on May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Peyton Leonard pitches during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Julia Doan bunts the ball during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro freshman Loula McNamera pitches during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against San Juan Hills on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Piper Henderson hits the ball during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Peyton Leonard pitches during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Ashley Corpuz hits a single with an RBI during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Gianna Loja dives safely back to first base during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Allison Kloft hits the ball during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against San Juan Hills on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Kennedy Hobson pitches during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against San Juan Hills on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro freshman Loula McNamera pitches during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against San Juan Hills on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
San Juan Hills’ Gianna Loja hits the ball during a CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinal game against Tesoro on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
“I couldn’t have asked for a better scenario with the bases loaded and Kennedy Proctor up,” Tesoro coach Leena Blake said. “They walked her on her last time up, so I wasn’t sure if they were going to do it again and sacrifice one run or let her hit and sacrifice three runs. It was huge.”
This is the first time Tesoro (19-11) has reached the softball semifinals under Blake. The Titans will host St. Anthony in the semifinals Saturday. Tesoro beat St. Anthony 10-1 earlier this season.
“This is my favorite win here at Tesoro. We’ve kept losing in the first round of CIF and we needed to get over that hump and now we are here,” Blake said. “St. Anthony is a different team now. They are peaking at the right time like us so I told the girls we can’t be slacking.”
The key moment in the game Thursday came in the bottom of the second inning. Tesoro had a 3-1 lead but San Juan Hills (16-13) had the bases loaded with no outs.
Blake replaced Hobson in the circle and gave the ball to left-hander Loula McNamara. After a runner was thrown out on a fielder’s choice, the catcher Proctor threw out the runner at third on a pickoff attempt.
Piper Henderson hit a single for San Juan Hills but Tesoro center fielder Jenna Nelson made an excellent throw to home plate to get the third out and keep Tesoro’s 3-1 lead intact.
McNamara pitched three innings before Blake gave the ball back to Hobson, who finished the game on the circle.
“I’ve just been going between the two pitchers to keep the hitters off-balanced,” Blake said. “The girls know I have a tight leash and we needed to change momentum so I made the switch.”
McNamara and Proctor drove in runs for Tesoro in the first inning and Kiara Cisneros hit a sacrifice fly in the second.
Ashley Corpuz hit a run-scoring single for the Stallions in the first inning. Maddie Manes hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to tie the game 3-3.
