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Softball Notebook: Only Los Alamitos Earns a Seeding Among a Division's Top Four

Plenty of OC Patch teams expect to make deep runs in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, but none are seeded, like the Griffins are in Division 1.

Here's a preview of the CIF Southern Section softball playoffs for the divisions in which our Patch Orange County teams are participants. The playoffs begin with wild card games on Tuesday and first-round games on Thursday.

DIVISION 1

Defending champion -- Santa Margarita

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Top-seeded teams -- 1. Esperanza (22‐2), Century League champion; 2. Etiwanda (22‐3), Baseline League champion; 3. Corona Santiago (23‐5), Big VIII League champion; 4. Los Alamitos (24‐3‐1), Sunset League champion.

Dark horse -- Garden Grove Pacifica. The Mariners have another young pitcher in freshman Kaylee Carlson, who went 20-1 this season with a 0.75 ERA and 110 strikeouts. Pacifica swept a nonleague doubleheader against Trinity League champion Orange Lutheran.

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Notes -- Los Alamitos came through a tough Sunset League battle with Edison and has played a lot of close games against top-tier teams. The Griffins have a good mix of senior leadership and young talent, including phenomenal freshman pitcher Andie Formby, so they may be poised enough to withstand the pressure of the playoffs. Los Alamitos senior co-captain Alicia Walker said the experience of so many tight games helped the Griffins control their emotions and learn not to panic in critical situations. Throughout the season, the Griffins have had different players step up at key times. Walker said they have to try and not do too much as individuals and let the team respond.“We just have to believe in our team and believe in what we’re doing,” Walker said.

Fountain Valley earned an at-large berth and has experienced leadership in the circle in senior Allison Lang and junior Cerissa Rivera.

Santa Margarita was able to take sole possession of second place in the Trinity League thanks to two victories over Rosary in their final three games. The division's defending champions have to be considered a threat with senior pitcher Amy Letourneau in the circle and at the plate. Last year, the Eagles got hot at the end of the regular season and rode that emotion to the title. If they can find that relaxed attitude again, they can make another run. But the pressure to repeat is always tough to handle.  

Coach's pick -- “I think Division 1 is wide open. I like Los Alamitos and Esperanza a lot, but on any given day, any one of those top teams can beat any other. My sneak pick, from way off the radar, is Fountain Valley. If they can survive their highly-ranked opponent in the first round, they might go deep.”  -- Newport Harbor coach Tony Qualin

Division 2

Defending champion -- Upland

Top-seeded teams -- 1. Don Lugo (23‐3), Mt. Baldy League Champion; 2. Bonita (22‐4), Hacienda League Champion; 3. Chino (22‐6), Mt. Baldy #2; 4. Adolfo Camarillo (21‐7), Pacific View League Champion.

Dark horse -- Laguna Hills. The Hawks were ranked among the top 10 in the coaches' poll before suffering a five-game losing streak. They were able to rebound for a tie-breaking victory over Trabuco Hills to grab the South Coast League's final automatic playoff bid. Now the question is whether Laguna Hills can regain the momentum it had earlier in the season. If so, the Hawks can be a threat to go deep in the playoffs.

Notes -- Aliso Niguel has two solid offensive leaders in junior third baseman Tiffany Mikkelson and junior shortstop Marissa Gilbuena. The two have combined for 56 RBIs and 10 home runs for the Wolverines. Aliso Niguel tied with San Clemente for second place in the Sea View League behind Dana Hills, but the Wolverines get the third-place bid from the league.

Tesoro got off to a slow start, including going 0-4 to start the season, but the Titans found their stride in time for South Coast League play. Titan coach Donn Munsell said the team was just not executing on offense or defense early on, but began to improve quickly when they started performing the fundamentals. “We’re starting to play some defense now,” Munsell said. The Titans have also benefitted from the return of junior pitcher Melanie Slate, who missed the middle part of the season while on a trip to Spain. Slate went 5-3 in league play with a 2.56 ERA in helping the Titans win a share of the league title with Mission Viejo. Offensively, the Titans have also received production from several players. Senior Cassandra Rouland and sophomore Rachel Hartman have each driven in six runs in league play and freshman Lea Wodach and junior Lexi Hope have each driven in five.

Mission Viejo was the second-place team out of the South Coast League in terms of playoff seeding because it lost both of its games against the Titans. But the league was recognized for the talent of its teams when El Toro was awarded an at-large berth despite finishing fifth. Had Trabuco Hills had a .500 overall record they would have almost certainly received a spot. While El Toro underachieved in the regular season, given the preseason expectations of the team, opponents had better not fall sleep on the Chargers.

Mission Viejo coach Troy Ybarra said the league race was as close as the records indicated. “The South Coast League is just equal all the way through,” he said.

The Diablos will rest their playoff hopes on the arm of senior pitcher Amanda “Mandy” Fernandez. The Diablos can break out with big offensive games at times, but playoff softball often comes down to the pitching matchups. Fernandez is the leader in the circle for the Diablos but is really playing out of position. At Boston University next year, she will move to her natural position in center field. She said she expects to feel some butterflies in her final high school playoff experience, but won’t try to do anything different. “I just treat every game the same,” said Fernandez, adding that she feels comfortable with the team she has  behind her and likes their offensive lineup. Aside from a two-run game against Tesoro, the Diablos scored at least six runs in each of their final five games.“Hopefully, we’ll build off of that [offense] for the playoffs,” Fernandez said.

Mission Viejo will host former South Coast League rival San Clemente in a first-round game on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. San Clemente was the second seed out of the Sea View League after sharing second place with Aliso Niguel. The Tritons have played some strong teams, in and out of league, and they may be able to use those experiences to help them in postseason play. Junior third baseman Lauren Delgadillo and senior catcher Kailey McCasland have been the big producers on offense for the Tritons. Defensively, junior shortstop Danielle Weaterholt can make dazzling plays.

DIVISION 5

Defending champion -- Whittier Christian

Top-seeded teams -- 1. La Canada (23‐5), Rio Hondo League champion; 2. Beaumont (21‐4), Mountain Pass League champion; 3. Savanna (21‐6), Orange League champion; 4. Duarte (19‐3), Montview League champion.

Dark horse -- Santa Ana Calvary Chapel. The Eagles have been getting more notice lately and have finally moved into the top 10 in the final Division V coaches' poll. They defeated Oxford Academy, seeded fourth in Division 6, in late March. 

Notes -- Laguna Beach pitcher Haley Putnam led her team on offense with a .358 batting average, 15 RBIs and two home runs. The Breakers reached the playoffs in their first season back in varsity competition since 2007. They stumbled down the stretch a bit, but were able to get an at-large berth out of the Orange Coast League. However, the Breakers will now have to play a wild-card game at Magnolia. Sophomore catcher Kennedi Gheradini, freshman outfielder Veronica Clancy and sophomore infielder Katie Anderson have also produced some runs. The Breakers have only four juniors and no seniors on their roster, so just making the playoff field is a great experience for the team. Any success will go that much further in building for future seasons.  

Division 6

Defending champion -- LaSalle

Top-seeded teams -- 1. Downey Calvary Chapel (21‐4), Alpha League champion; 2. Kern Valley (24‐3), High Desert League champion; 3. Citrus Valley (20‐5), Mountain Valley League champion; 4. Oxford Academy (17‐2), Academy League champion.

Dark horse -- Flintridge Prep. The Rebels won the Prep League title behind senior pitcher Denise Van der goot, who notched 162 strikeouts in 82 innings.

Notes -- Downey Calvary Chapel, behind sophomore pitcher Larisa Petakoff, will be tough to beat. Petakoff went 18-2 this season with a 0.63 ERA and 143 strikeouts.

Capistrano Valley reached the semifinals of the Division 7 playoffs last year, but have been moved up a division this season. The Eagles have been devastated by injuries and have had to recruit players just to have enough bodies to fill every position. They played several games with only nine players on their roster and even resorted to moving players to different positions, depending on the batter, in an effort to get the more experienced players in positions where they would be most likely to field the ball. Still, coach Bruce Sanborn and his crew were able to hold on for a share of the San Joaquin League title by rallying for 14 runs in two innings to defeat Connelly, 23-16. Senior infielder Kelsey Hodge and junior pitcher Franny Manzo sparked CVCS's rally last week and will be key players if the team expects to make some waves in the playoffs.

Saddleback Valley Christian overcame a slow start to finish the season at 14-4 overall and grab a share of the San Joaquin League title with CVCS. Senior shortstop Victoria Martinez had a big final week of the regular season, going five for seven with a home run in the last two games. The Warriors have some players who have had solid offensive seasons, including sophomore catcher Cindy Gallina and senior first baseman Christina Vogt.

Oxford Academy in Cypress didn’t get much resistance in the Academy League, but the Patriots played a close game against top-seeded Downey Calvary Chapel. Senior pitcher Cassie Oregel gives the Patriots a chance in any game.

For complete pairings in all playoff divisions, .

The CIF Southern Section Softball Playoff Schedule:

Tuesday, May 17 -- Wild Card Round

Thursday, May 19 -- First Round

Tuesday, May 24 – Second Round

Thursday, May 26 – Quarterfinals

Tuesday, May 31 – Semifinals

Friday, June 3 – Finals at Deanna Manning Stadium at Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, Irvine. Game times of 3 p.m.; 5:25 p.m.; 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 4 -- Finals at Deanna Manning Stadium at Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, Irvine. Game times of 12:30 p.m.; 3:30 p.m.; 6 p.m.

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