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For perhaps the casual observer, an unusual scene occurred as the umpires took the softball field at Canyon last week.

The players from visiting El Modena and Canyon erupted in cheers with the arrival of umpires Rodney Williams and Kenyon Jackson.

The father-and-son duo briefly visited both dugouts and took photographs with the teams before the Crestview League game.

Why were the umpires — part of profession that is often criticized at games — embraced with such enthusiasm?

“We noticed them from TikTok (on social media),”  Canyon first baseman Irma Urincho said after the Comanches’ 8-1 win. “They’re always taking pictures and just running around (to different games).”

“I think they brought more energy to our field and it just got us going,” the senior added.

The umpire’s TikTok account “wedemboyz3084” posted a short video of their interaction with Canyon and El Modena. The tandem has shared similar content from other games around Orange County.

VILLA PARK’S BREAKOUT SLUGGER

Villa Park sophomore Julianna Romero has burst onto the scene with a county-leading 11 home runs entering Tuesday.

Romero, a corner infielder who also pitches, is hitting .344 with 25 RBIs and an impressive OPS of 1.305. She has 17 walks.

Villa Park coach Terry Williams said he saw signs of Romero’s potential as a freshman.

“In batting practice, she absolutely crushes the ball,” he said. “It was obvious the pop was in there. It was just a matter of getting comfortable with the high-level pitching we see.”

Huntington Beach’s Bree Carlson ranks second in the county with 10 home runs. The sophomore hit her 10th in a 9-4 win against Los Alamitos on Monday to tie the the Oilers’ single-season school record.

EDISON DELIVERS MORE PARITY

Edison supplied more fuel last week for the county’s season-long theme of parity.

The Chargers (11-12, 6-4) posted their first victory against Los Alamitos (13-11, 7-2) since 2021 with a 10-3 triumph in the Sunset League. Sophomores Aubrey Catron and Hannah Stolba each hit home runs for Edison.

“There’s a lot of parity out there,” veteran Los Alamitos coach Rob Weil said. “There’s not a dominating team. There’s not a pitcher out there (where it’s) ‘Wow, I don’t want to face that kid.’ There’s no Amanda Freeds or any of those types of kids (pitching).”

NOTES

Los Alamitos freshman leadoff hitter and left fielder Ryann Velazquez made a spectacular diving catch of a foul ball against Huntington Beach on Monday. “Ryann is a very talented kid,” Weil said. …

Capistrano Valley junior Cassidy Stinnett pitched consecutive shutouts against Mission Viejo and Tesoro in the South Coast League last week. …

Buena Park’s Mia Gonzalez (217) and Marina’s Mia Valbuena (198) rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the Southern Section in strikeouts. Gonzalez struck out 16 in a 10-0 win against Laguna Hills last week.

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