Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now
IRVINE — Tesoro’s softball team broke into its traditional “dance circle” before taking on top-seeded Bonita in the CIF-SS Division 3 final Friday.
The players chanted and bounced outside their dugout at Deanna Manning Stadium, but some of the Titans’ trademarks from their breakthrough season didn’t surface on the field.
The Sea View League champion’s bats, which erupted in the semifinals, were mostly silenced by a sizzling pitcher and Bonita’s defense in a 6-0 loss.
Tesoro watches as Bonita celebrates their win during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita celebrates their win over Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita celebrates their win over Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita’s Brooklyn Shroyer (16) delivers a pitch against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s Cadence Gilliand (1) celebrates an out Bonita’stat second base against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. The runner was out, then an illegal pitch was called and the runner was sent back to first base. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita’s Alyssa Doucette (28) celebrates as she scores the only run her team will need during their win over Tesoro in the CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s Kennedy Hobson (7) delivers a pitch against Bonita during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro head coach Leena Blake chats with her team as they play against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s Cadence Gilliand (1) tosses the ball to Kiara Cisneros (21) during an out at second base against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s Cadence Gilliand (1) tags Bonita’s Audrey Garza (3) during an out at second base against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. The runner was out, then an illegal pitch was called and the runner was sent back to first base. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s Loula-Rae McNamara (11) pauses before pitching to Bonita during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita’s Aries Alonso (17) celebrates a double against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita’s Kailey Scott (8), left, Kali Blount (9), center, and Lauryn Ureno (30) are all smiles in the fifth inning against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita celebrates their win over Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro pitcher Loula-Rae McNamara (11) delivers a pitch against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s Ashley Gruner (10) reaches for a throw to first base as Bonita’s Kailey Scott (8) is out during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s Peyton Roberge (4) heads towards second base during a double against Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita celebrates their win over Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bonita celebrates their win over Tesoro during their CIF-SS Division 3 championship game in Irvine, CA, on Friday, May 20, 2022. Bonita shutout Tesoro, 6 to 0. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tesoro’s defense produced a highlight play but the Bearcats (27-5-1) also scored four unearned runs.
“The goal was to get here and we achieved it,” said fourth-year Titans coach Leena Blake, who took a team without a postseason win since 2016 to its first section final since 2009. “I’m very proud of our season.”
Bonita pitcher Brooklyn Shroyer (21-2) entered the final with a string of games with double-digit strikeouts but recorded only one against Tesoro (20-12). The junior, however, limited the Titans to five hits by forcing 15 outs in the air.
For Tesoro, the struggles contrasted its 9-1 win against St. Anthony in the semifinals Monday.
“I don’t feel we’ve been popping up lately,” Blake said. “We’ve been hitting because we’ve been winning our games. But today, we just didn’t catch any breaks. Our momentum got stopped every time we started a rally.”
The top of the fifth inning was the best example. Trailing 3-0 with runners at first and second and one out, Tesoro leadoff batter and leading hitter Kiara Cisneros drove a ball toward the gap in left but center fielder Kali Blount raced over to make a diving catch.
Blount caught another fly ball to end the threat one batter later.
“That was a huge play,” Blake said of the diving grab. “It was totally a momentum killer right there for us. I thought for sure it was going (to drop).”
Tesoro’s defense committed three errors that led to an unearned run in the first and three in the sixth. Blake believed nerves contributed to some of the defensive struggles.
“We’re normally on it,” she said of the Titans’ defense.
Tesoro’s defense produced a highlight. In the third, shortstop Cadence Gilliliand ranged up the middle for a grounder and flipped the ball from her glove to Cisneros at second for a force out.
Gilliliand, a junior, said it was the first play this season that she pulled off the flip from her glove.
“It takes too long to transfer (the ball to throw),” she said of her strategy.
Freshman pitcher Loula-Rae McNamara also was a bright spot for Tesoro. She relived starter Kennedy Hobson with runners at first and second and no outs in the second. No. 8 batter Aries Alonso greeted the freshman with a two-run double to make it 3-0 but McNamara responded with three scoreless innings before the sixth and struck out three.
“I was so excited,” McNamara said of the final. “I was I can’t even believe that I’m really here as a freshman. I’m speechless.”
Bonita extended its unbeaten streak to 16 games and claimed its first section title. The Bearcats were seeded first after highly-regarded Canyon didn’t make the playoffs from the four-team Crestview League.
Schedule for the CIF-SS softball championship games Friday-Saturday, May 20-21
“I think we represented Division 3 as a No. 1 seed pretty well,” Bonita coach Darren Baumunk said. “It was unfortunate for (Canyon). It’s probably devastating for their coaching staff and more importantly, their girls. … But for us, to take that spot and kind of go with it, was huge.”
