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ANAHEIM — One of Orange County’s most consistent softball programs brought clarity to the ultra-competitive Crestview League on Wednesday.
One of the county’s most surprising teams made it close in typical Crestview fashion.
Esperanza reliever Mia Sanchez got Carson Cooper to line out to center fielder Taylor Shumaker with the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning to close out a 6-4 victory at Canyon High that delivered the Aztecs the outright league title.
“It doesn’t happen very often,” Esperanza coach Ed Tunstall said with a chuckle of an outright champion in the Crestview. “Everybody beat each other this time.”
Esperanza (19-6, 7-2), ranked fifth in Orange County and eighth in CIF-SS Division 1, entered Wednesday with a one-game lead against No. 10 Canyon (17-10, 5-4) in a finale between two playoff-bound squads.
Last season, the Crestview produced a three-way tie for first place between Esperanza, Canyon and Villa Park. The logjam led to a coin-flip for the league’s No. 1 playoff entry (won by Villa Park) and a playoff spot for the No. 2 entry (won by Esperanza).
After Canyon missed the playoffs because there were no at-large playoff entries for Division 3, the Crestview shifted to three rounds of play this spring.
Esperanza followed its offense — which had been a bit quiet in recent games — to the decisive victory. Shortstop Sharyn Duncan highlighted a four-run third inning with a three-run home run, her seventh, to open a 4-0 lead.
Duncan, a four-year starter, finished 4 for 4, including a key RBI single in the seventh that made it 6-1.
Shumaker went 2 for 4 with an RBI double. Freshman Calista Van Artsdalen added an RBI double as the Aztecs finished with 11 hits in support of Charley Duran, who pitched 6 1/3 innings for her seventh win.
“This is our third time seeing this pitcher (Jessalyn Gallegos) and we kind of knew what she was going to be throwing and we adjusted,” Duncan said of the senior who fired a no-hitter Monday.
Esperanza claimed a fifth consecutive league title.
“We just have girls who really want it,” said Shumaker, a junior who is committed to Florida. “We have girls who work really hard.”
Canyon scored three runs in the seventh, including a bases-loaded, two-run double by leadoff batter Sam Gresham (2 for 4).
The Division 2 Comanches, who were unranked in the O.C. preseason poll, are headed to CIF playoffs for the first time since 2019.
“It’s always exciting to make the playoffs, and for this team especially because its so young,” Canyon coach Jess Carbajal said.
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