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Esperanza’s softball team opened defense of its CIF-SS Division 1 title on Thursday but the work began months earlier. The Aztecs bonded with seven freshmen, and carefully adjusted their mentality.
“We may have been champions last year,” senior pitcher Brooke Perez said, “but we’re coming into this as a new year. We’re going to go at it again.”
Esperanza continued to showcase that chemistry and focus in its first round playoff game against Trinity League co-champion Mater Dei.
The Crestview League tri-champion banged out 13 hits, including three triples, and received a complete game from the UC Riverside-bound Perez in an 8-3 victory at Fountain Valley Sports Park.
Sophomore leadoff batter Taylor Shumaker went 4 for 4 with two singles, a double and a triple, and scored three runs, but the Aztecs’ production extended throughout their order.
No. 3 batter Audrey Robles went 2 for 4 with two RBIs while cleanup hitter Sabrina Seaton added two hits, including an RBI triple.
Freshman Charley Duran, who has climbed to fifth in the order, also had two hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs. No. 8 batter Mia Sanchez chipped in two hits.
It was just the type of effort Esperanza (19-11) has been seeking. “We really had to focus on team bonding and getting everybody to mesh together and really play as a team,” said Robles, the Aztecs’ junior second baseman.
Esperanza plays host to reigning SoCal champion and No. 4 seeded Camarillo (23-3) in the second round Tuesday.
The Aztecs scored four times in fifth inning to open a 5-1 lead. Seaton and Duran had consecutive run-scoring hits before the Aztecs scored two runs on an error that would have ended the inning.
The mistake loomed for Mater Dei (17-10) as the Monarchs’ Madison Rodriguez drove in Anika Ewert (2 for 4, three stolen bases) in the bottom of the fifth, which would have made the score 3-2 without the error.
Esperanza scored three runs with two outs in the sixth, including back-to-back triples from Seaton and Duran.
Esperanza’s defense, sharpened by the rigors of the Crestview League, closed the fourth and fifth innings by throwing out runners at third base.
“Esperanza has beaten Canyon and Villa Park,” Mater Dei coach Sean Brashear said. “We knew this was going to be very hard game and we knew we had to be really clean.”
“But I’m super proud (of our season). We’re very young,” he added.
In other Division 1 games:
Villa Park 4, Vista Murrieta 0: Sydney Somerndike (14-0) fired a two-hitter with 16 strikeouts and Claire Duckworth drove in two runs to lead the host and No. 2 seeded Spartans (24-4). Villa Park plays Orange Lutheran in the second round Tuesday at Barry Turner Field near Foothill High.
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Orange Lutheran 10, Riverside Poly 0: Freshman Kai Minor went 2 for 4 with a double, home run and five RBIs to support Brianne Weiss in the circle and lead the visiting Lancers (20-8).