Santa Paula, Oaks Christian fall in CIF-State SoCal regional softball finals
The Santa Paula High softball team came within an out of the program’s first CIF State regional championship Saturday afternoon at Hershel Hopkins Field in Santa Paula.
Down to its last out in the top of the seventh, visiting Holtville delivered a two-run rally to force extra innings, eventually taking the CIF-State Southern California Division IV regional championship 6-3 in 10 innings.
“It was tough, considering we were home and our home field was packed,” Santa Paula coach Bianca Noriega said.
Demi Johnson’s two-out, two-run single tied the game in the top of the seventh inning. Kamryn Walker’s leadoff double sparked a decisive three-run top of the 10th.
“It was a tough pill to swallow, but we have a lot of be proud of this year,” Noriega said. “We made a run in (the Southern Section) and we made a run in state.”
The Citrus Coast champions finished 25-7, including runs to the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 semifinals and the Division IV regional final.
“Reaching a state (regional) final game has never happened at our school,” Noriega said. “I’m proud of them and I’m proud of their fight. It just wasn’t our time.”
Santa Paula senior Liliana Arana allowed two earned runs over nine innings, striking out 10.
“We were lucky to have her for two years,” Noriega said of the former Grace Brethren pitcher. “It was nice for her to come back home. We had a good run.”
Holtville took a 1-0 lead on Walker’s one-out double in the top of the third.
Santa Paula responded with a three-run fourth inning.
Mia Cardenas and Madison Gray singled to lead off the inning. Arana delivered an RBI double to left field to tie the game.
After KaiLea Reyes was intentionally walked to load the bases, Anayah Davis’ RBI groundout and Hailey Pettus’ RBI single put Santa Paula ahead 3-1 after four innings.
Arana retired seven straight to protect the lead into the seventh inning, when Demi Johnson’s two-out, two-run single to center field followed an infield error and a Walker double to tie the game.
Noriega saluted her program’s outgoing senior class.
“Our senior class is going to be missed,” Noriega said. “I took the program over four years ago and started with those kids. It hurts a little more to see them go. We started this journey together.”
She also thanked the community for its support at Harding Park. Santa Paula quickly sold out its initial allotment of 250 tickets for the final.
“The community was amazing,” Noriega said. “Their support for us through the whole CIF run and the state run was second to none. … It was packed and it was a great thing to have them rooting us on. We might be a small town. We might be a small community, but they rallied behind us.”
Oaks Christian falls in final
The Oaks Christian softball team’s regional title defense fell just short at the final hurdle.
JT Lambert and Rylee McCoy reached base twice and Emelia Davis allowed just three hits, but the Lions fell 1-0 at Poway on Saturday afternoon in the CIF-State Southern California Division I regional final.
“We didn’t hit,” first-year Oaks Christian coach Cheyenne Coyle said. “It’s just one of those things.”
Sophomore Mya McGowan shut out Oaks Christian’s fearsome lineup, allowing five hits and striking out four to lift Poway (29-3), the San Diego Section’s Open Division champion.
“One through nine, we were not great,” Coyle said. “We just left a lot of base runners on.”
Davis kept the Lions in the game, allowing one run on three hits and three walks, striking out seven.
“Emeila Davis pitched phenomenally,” Coyle said.
Davis retired eight of the first nine Poway hitters, but was stung by a two-out walk in the bottom of the third. Miah Garcia’s two-out RBI double delivered Poway the lone run of the game.
Oaks Christian had plenty of scoring chances.
Lambert and McCoy drew walks to lead off the game, but didn’t score.
Heaven Oliva leads off the top of the fifth with a single up the middle for Oaks Christian’s first hit. Terrianna Kelly followed with a one-out single to left field, but McGowan escaped the jam.
Lambert and McCoy singled to lead off the top of the sixth, but were left on base.
Coyle took over the program after the death of longtime head coach Pete Ackermann and guided Oaks Christian to the Marmonte League championship, the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals, the CIF State regional final and a 30-3-1 record.
“No one really expected us to have the year that we did,” Coyle said. “The seniors really stepped up. I had coached two of them previously. They’re good kids and hard working. They did really well this year.”
Joe Curley covers softball for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Santa Paula, Oaks Christian fall in SoCal regional softball finals
