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First-year Kennedy softball coach Adrian Ramon added a short but motivating opening to the Fighting Irish’s pregame cheer this spring.

“One team, one mission,” a player says before the main shout.

The mission has been to win the Empire League, and that appears considerably more likely after Kennedy pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season on Thursday.

The No. 15 Fighting Irish erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning to defeat top-ranked and host Pacifica 9-2 to tie the Mariners for first place in the Empire League with two games remaining.

“It was a phenomenal game,” Ramon said late Thursday. “The girls just pulled together.”

Kennedy (15-10, 7-1) earned the league split with Pacifica (22-4, 7-1) thanks to several clutch performances.

Senior first baseman Carissa Tapia sparked the seven-run eighth inning with a go-ahead, run-scoring single.

Oklahoma State-bound third baseman Claire Timm followed with a bases-loaded double that drove in three runs.

And senior right fielder Piper Garcia helped punctuate the inning with a two-run home run.

Kennedy’s big eighth inning arrived after it scored twice in the sixth on two-out hits by sophomore catcher Madison Ramon and Tapia to knot the score 2-2.

Juniors Corie Cheng and McKenzie Wanner shared the circle for the Fighting Irish. Wanner entered in the fourth and earned the victory.

Kennedy, part of the playoff pool in Division 3, closes the Empire League next week at Valencia and Crean Lutheran. Pacifica, a Division 1 team, plays host to Cypress and Valencia.

If Kennedy and Pacifica both win twice next week, they would share the league title.

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