LA MIRADA – It was clear something special was brewing when La Mirada pitcher Aleyna Urbina and Whittier Christian’s Brooklyn Carreon both had perfect games going through three innings and reached the top of the fourth inning in just 30 minutes during Thursday’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 first-round softball playoff.
And it seemed likely that one swing of the bat was going to win it.
That swing came in the bottom of the sixth inning when La Mirada’s Grace Archuleta belted a two-out double through the gap in left-center, scoring Grace Giesler from second for the game’s only run.
Urbina closed the contest and pitched a three-hit shutout as La Mirada beat the Heralds 1-0 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
La Mirada will host third-seeded Roosevelt of Eastvale in a second-round game Tuesday. Roosevelt beat Upland 17-0 in the first round Thursday.
“There was a lot of hype,” La Mirada coach Brent Tuttle said about the contest. “Brooklyn is a great pitcher and we have a hell of a pitcher (Urbina) over here, too. They grew up playing together, they know each other, they’ve been playing each other since they were 7 (years old) probably.
“Aleyna’s just has had a phenomenal year. We knew it would be a game like that. When you get to playoff softball, that’s what you expect, one- or two-run games, and we got a big hit when we needed it.”
Carreon, this newspaper’s two-time Whittier area player of the year, is headed to the University of Utah. She had her number retired by the school in her final home game in the regular season.
La Mirada coach Brent Tuttle after 1-0 win over Whittier Christian pic.twitter.com/f7SRPOY1QZ
— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) May 6, 2022
Whittier Christian coach Dale VanDuyn after tough 1-0 playoff loss to Whittier Christian pic.twitter.com/bM67oVPIcU
— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) May 5, 2022
Carreon allowed just three hits, but it was a tough way for her and her teammates to finish the season, dropping to 18-10.
“It’s tough to lose like that, especially when Brooke threw a great game,” Whittier Christian coach Dale VanDuyn said. “The girls played with all their heart. They played at a high level and moving us up to Division 1, and having a chance to do this with La Mirada, it was an awesome experience.”
After La Mirada pinch hitter Amber Valdez got on base with a one-out single in the sixth inning, Giesler was inserted as a pinch runner. Carreon got a strikeout, but Giesler stole second. Archuleta, a lefty, hit a double to the gap in left-center field to bring in Giesler.
“I knew coming into this game she’s (Carreon) a great pitcher,” Archuleta said. “I hit two line drives (earlier) and I was on her, and I knew that if I was going to get a good solid hit. I had to get clutch in that moment. And after Grace stole second, I knew that I had to get it done.”
La Mirada’s Grace Archuleta with the big hit, a two out double in the bottom of the sixth to score Grace Giesler, 1-0 over Whittier Christian pic.twitter.com/P6VhZvgwfK
— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) May 5, 2022
La Mirada’s Grace Archuleta on her game winning RBI double in 1-0 win over Whittier Christian pic.twitter.com/26r70PdL59
— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) May 5, 2022
She did and so did Urbina, who got big outs in the fourth and sixth innings after the Heralds got runners to second base. In the sixth, Urbina got Carreon to pop out to end the inning with runners on first and second.
“It was a little scary out there. I was a little nervous, I don’t know how I did it,” Urbina said of the battle between her and Carreon.
On the final out, Urbina simply said, “It was great.”
La Mirada pitcher Aleyna Urbina after a two hit shutout in 1-0 win over Whittier Christian pic.twitter.com/2Q7UPxqcnU
— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) May 5, 2022